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This post was originally featured as part of a Summer A-Z series on https://365atlantatraveler.com/
Hey y’all! It’s me, Andrea Runnels of www.thesocialstudieswhisperer.com, back again to bring you the letter K! I’m a former 5th grade teacher gone rogue and a pretty serious American History Evangelist. I’m excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to a few more of my favorite sites in the southeast during the Summer A-Z! I started first with World War II and The Breman Museum for the letter B and then went back in time to The Civil War for Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park for C. And we are staying in the 1860s for Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield!
The coolest thing about Chickamauga and Kennesaw is that they are both featured on the Civil War Trust’s Battle of Atlanta campaign app. The free app features facts, routes, maps, surrounding locations, and more for the three phases of the Battle for Atlanta campaign. Learn more at https://www.battlefields.org/! There are only apps for a few battles and I love that as a metro Atlanta resident, I have access to one for local sites!
The Union troops captured Chattanooga and starting heading towards Atlanta in the fall of 1863. Well, by summer 1864 they had reached metro Atlanta. The battle of Kennesaw Mountain took place in June and by the end of July the beloved capital of Georgia had fallen victim to enemy captors. By then the cruel but brilliant strategist General William Tecumseh Sherman was leading the Union forces and the weary Confederates were no match.
The battlefield spans almost 3000 acres and is home to over a million visitors annually. The park is great for hiking so be sure to pack your gear! It’s great for all ages! I remember bringing a group of 5th graders to the battlefield for a visit in the 1990s when I was student teaching. There was quite a bit of whining on the mile hike up the mountain but I know they all thought it was worth it once they reached the top. More recently I popped in the park on the way home from a wedding shower for my sister. I got there almost as the Visitor Center was closing, hence my shabby photography. I was pretty determined and pretty much ran from the parking lot to make it inside! My main goal was to hit the gift shop! Where there is a will, there’s a way! I found quite a few treasures and most importantly an amazing book containing the stunning images of Matthew Brady, the well-known Civil War photographer.
What I love about the displays in the visitor center are how they feature connections to the past and present. Apparently, Kennesaw Mountain has quite the extensive history pre-dating The Civil War. One example featured footwear and another had replica food items. There was an example of what the early inhabitants of the region would have worn or eaten, followed by the same for a CIvil War soldier, and finally a comparable modern day version! I wouldn’t suggest cooking up some hardtack if you’d like to keep all your teeth, which is the food item shown for The Civil War! It looks like a cracker but the texture is more similar to a rock! It had to be portable and able to travel well with soldiers en route to battle.
Speaking of connecting the past to the present, this park’s website has some very unique features! Check out the trading cards the park offers and then follow up by sneaking a peek at cards for other states! There are several great pieces of biographical information including several documentaries. Here is a link to the park’s own website: https://www.nps.gov/kemo/index.htm. And in this video I filmed on location at Kennesaw Mountain, I share my top tip for turning history haters into engaged enthusiasts. Parents can help out teachers by exposing their kiddos to as much history as possible. Those of us who live in the southeast are very fortunate to be surrounded by so many sites and museums like Kennesaw Mountain!