Atlanta History Center

Atlanta

Formerly the Atlanta Historical Society, the Atlanta History Center is home to a large selection of early sources related to Atlanta and the surrounding region. Its Kenan Research Center curates the History Center’s various Collections. A standout among these is the Cherokee Garden Library, which is comprised of over 33,000 books, photographs, manuscripts, seed catalogs, and landscape drawings that highlight the horticultural and botanical history of the southeastern United States. There are also Archival Collections with strengths in African American History, Government and Civic Affairs, and Military History. There are many ways to Search the Collections, including Finding Aids and the Kenan Center’s online catalog, Terminus. Many of the History Center’s photographs have been digitized and can be viewed through its digital database, Album.

Georgia Archives

Morrow

The Georgia Archives serves as the official repository for the State of Georgia. Its holdings date back to the founding of Georgia and include the records of both state and county governments. Archival collections are arranged into Record Groups. Among these are the records of the Colonial Government, the Governor, the Legislature, and various other government departments and agencies. Finding Aids are available. Items held by the Georgia Archives may be searched with its Online Catalog. The Georgia Archives also operates several databases, including the General Name File, the Georgia Colonial and Headright Plat Index, Georgia Historic Newspapers, and the Georgia Official and Statistical Register. Much of the Georgia Archives’ material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Virtual Vault.

Georgia Historical Society

Savannah

The Georgia Historical Society holds the largest collection of Georgia materials in the United States. Its Research Center maintains 30,000 architectural drawings, 15,000 rare books, 100,000 photographs, and thousands of maps, portraits, and material objects. There are also some 5 million manuscript items, with significant holdings for the 18th and 19th centuries. Included are various business records, government records, plantation records, and the personal papers of prominent Georgians. Besides these Georgia materials, the Society also holds material from around the early Atlantic world. A General Orientation to the Collection gives a broad overview of the Society’s holdings. Additional Resources and Links include a Genealogy Resource Guide and a Building History Resource Guide. Finding Aids are available. Items held by the Society may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the Society’s material has been digitized and can be viewed with its Digital Image Catalog. Research funding is offered through the Society’s Dooley Distinguished Research Fellowships.

Gertrude Gilmer Odum Library

Valdosta

The Gertrude Gilmer Odum Library serves as the main library for Valdosta State University. Its Special Collections house various 19th century materials related to Georgia. Among these are several manuscript collections, including business records, family papers, rare books, maps, and slavery documents. Some standouts are the Holtzendorff Map Collection, the Slavery Papers, Speeches, & Manuscripts, and the Broun Family Civil War Letter Collection. Much of this material is used in the Special Collections’ Exhibits. There are many Finding Aids available. Items held by the Special Collections can be searched with the Odum Library’s Online Catalog. The Hugh and Joan Bailey Archival Research Travel Fund provides research funding to study the Special Collections material.

Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Athens

Part of the University of Georgia Special Collection Libraries, the Hargett Rare Book & Manuscript Library manages an immense collection of early American sources. It holds approximately 120,000 Rare Books, with strengths in the southeastern United States and Georgia in particular, Confederate imprints, and the history of the book. Highlights include the Wymberly Jones De Renne Georgia Library and the Georgiana Collection. Other rare prints include the Hargrett Library’s extensive collection of Historical Broadsides, many of which date to the 18th and 19th centuries. There is also a vast selection of Manuscripts and Photographs, among which are business records, correspondence, diaries, drawings, family papers, organization records, paintings, photographs, and much more. Some early Americanists may find the Hargrett Library’s James W. Woodruff, Sr. Center for the Natural History of Georgia interesting. Finding Aids are available and serve as the Hargrett Library’s online catalog. Much of the Hargrett Library’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through the Digital Library of Georgia.

Ina Dillard Russell Library

Milledgeville

The Ina Dillard Russell Library serves as the main library for Georgie College. Its Special Collections hold some unique sources. There are several Manuscript Collections related to early Georgia. Among these are the John W. A. Sanford Papers, a collection of correspondence and other documents related to Sanford’s work with the Cherokee Nation in Georgia. Hundreds of other sources from the 18th and 19th centuries can be found in the Small Manuscript Collection. Special Collections maintains a Local History Guide. Items held by the Special Collections can be searched with the Russel Library’s Online Catalog. Some items from the Special Collections have been digitized and can be viewed on FLICKR.

Jack Tarver Library

Macon

The Jack Tarver Library serves as the main library for Mercer University. Its Special Collections is home to a variety of early Georgia Baptist sources, as well as the official archive of the Georgia Baptist Convention. Collection Highlights include Georgia Baptist Church Records, Georgia Baptist Association and Convention Records, Baptist Educational Institutions in Georgia, and many other Baptist records and material. Subject Specific Finding Aids are available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with the Tarver Library’s Online Catalog. Some of the Special Collections material has bee digitized and can be viewed with its Digital Collections.

Morris Museum of Art

Augusta

The Morris Museum of Art is home to an impressive selection of southern art and material culture. Its Permanent Collection consists of some 5,000 works of art from across the southern United States and the District of Columbia. Collection subjects include Nineteenth-Century Portraits, Southern Stories, Southerners at Play, The Southern Landscape, and Images of the Civil War. Many of these works of art are featured in the Morris’s various Exhibitions. The Morris is also home to the Center for the Study of Southern Art. Although the Center’s library focuses mostly on reference materials, there are some unique manuscript collections related to southern artists. There are also Vertical Files in the library. Items held by the library may be searched with its Online Catalog.

Reese Library

Augusta

Reese Library serves as the main library for Augusta University. Its Special Collections & Institutional Archives houses various sources from Georgia’s early history. A large selection of rare books can be found in its Reese Room, with strengths in Children’s Literature, Etiquette Books, and Travel Literature. The Special Collections also curates a large collection of manuscripts that cover several aspects of Georgia’s past, including the African American Community in Augusta, the Augusta Arsenal, Colonial Georgia, and the Civil War. A decent amount of this material is available on Microfilm. There are also a few Genealogy Collections and Resources, such as reference books, manuscript materials, and vertical files. A useful resource is the Special Collection’s Index to Augusta Richmond County History. Besides managing the rare and unique materials for Reese Library, the Special Collections also serves as the archival repository for the Augusta Richmond County Historical Society. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with the Reese Library Archives’ Online Catalog. Some of the Special Collections material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Archives.

Robert W. Woodruff Library

Atlanta

The Robert W. Woodruff Library serves as the main library for the Atlanta University Center Consortium. Its Archives Research Center holds a large amount of sources related to early America, particularly African American sources. These Collections are especially strong in African American and African Diaspora history. Several Book Collections focus on the African American experience not just in the United States, but in the Caribbean as well. There is also a large Manuscripts & Archival Collection. While much of the archival material is related to the civil rights movements of the 20th century, there are many collections that focus on early American slavery and abolitionism. Highlights include the Henry P. Slaughter Collection, the John Brown Collection, the Slave Documents Collections, the Thomas Clarkson Papers, and the Maud Cuney-Hare Papers. There are several Finding Aids available that also function as the Research Center’s online catalog. Much of the Research Center’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections, although much of what is digitized appears to be from the 20th century.

Savannah Municipal Archives

Savannah

The Savannah Municipal Archives maintains the historical records of the City of Savannah. Many of its Collections date back to the 18th century. They include the records of the City Court, the City Marshal, the City Treasurer, the Clerk of Council, the Mayor’s Office, and various other departments. Research Guides are available. Much of the Municipal Archives’ holdings have been digitized and can be browsed with its Digital Collections.

Simon Schwob Memorial Library

Columbus

Simon Schwob Memorial Library serves as the main library for Columbus State University. Its Archives and Special Collections is home to several sources related to early Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley. Much of the Special Collections material can be found in the Chattahoochee Valley Historical Collections, including personal papers, business records, organizational records, and other ephemera. There are over 150 other Manuscript Collections, as well as a Local History and Culture Reference Collection, a Photograph Collection, Architectural Drawings and Land Surveys, City and County Documents and Directories, Historical Artifacts, Historical Newspapers, and hundreds of Rare Books. Several Finding Aids are available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with the Schwob Library’s Online Catalog. Much of the Special Collections material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Repository.

Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library

Atlanta

Part of the Emory University Libraries, the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library houses a large selection of early American sources. Its Collections focus on a variety of subjects, including African American History and Culture and Southern History. These materials are particularly strong in the American Civil War and Methodism. The Rose Library also maintains hundreds of thousands of Rare Books and features one of the world’s best collections of printed material related to the African American experience. There are also several Literary and Poetry Collections, with significant holdings for English-language poetry. Finding Aids are available. Items held by the Rose Library may be searched with the Emory University Libraries’ Online Catalog. Much of the Rose Library’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through the Emory Digital Collections.

Zach S. Henderson Library

Statesboro

The Zach S. Henderson Library serves as the main library for Georgia Southern University. Its Special Collections holds various sources related to early Georgia. Several Manuscript Collections feature material from across southern Georgia. These include sources for Bulloch County, Evans County, and Effingham County, as well as Churches, Women, and the Civil War. There is also a Rare Book Collection that focuses on classical literature, religious texts, and languages. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with the Henderson Library’s Online Catalog. Some of the Special Collections material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

Other Georgia Archives & Sources

Some of Georgia’s counties still retain their earliest records. Check with local clerks of court to see what is available. It should be noted that many counties lost their records during the American Civil War. The Georgia Archives maintains a Historical and Cultural Organizations Directory for the state. Both the Georgia Historical Society and the Georgia Genealogical Society provide lists of other historical and genealogical societies in the state. Several repositories throughout Georgia have digitized some of their early materials and uploaded them the Digital Library of Georgia.

Early Georgia sources can be found at several regional repositories, including the Alabama Department of Archives & History, Clemson University’s Special Collections and Archives, the Florida Historical Society, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and the South Carolina Historical Society. Additionally, the Gilcrease Museum in Oklahoma contains material related to Georgia’s indigenous peoples, especially the Cherokee. Sources on Georgia are also available at the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Georgia’s early history as a contested borderland between various empires and indigenous nations can necessitate a transnational approach to research. Sources related to Georgia can thus be found at the United Kingdom’s British Library and National Archives at Kew and Spain’s Archivo General de Indias.