RENEWAL: City’s spirit transcends obstacles

In his introduction to “Atlanta: A Portrait of the Civil War,” the Atlanta History Center’s Michael Rose suggested that “when the public envisions Atlanta during the Civil War, two primary images dominate: William Tecumseh Sherman and Scarlett O’Hara.”

Sherman put Atlanta on the map: first he designated the city a strategic target; then he burned it to the ground. The city’s rapid rebuilding seemed to presage ever-new beginnings. “Like the phoenix from the ashes” became Atlanta’s motto. The pledge “Resurgens” is emblazoned on the city seal. This spirit is found in the city’s ever-changing urban landscape, resulting from the city’s spirit of out with the old, in with the new.

Scarlett stands for survival at any price. In “Gone With the Wind,” she rejected the Old South and personified the new. She unabashedly embraced the future. Scarlett’s vision became official in 2005. Her vow that “tomorrow is another day” was quite similar to the “brand” for Atlanta’s “Every Day is an Opening Day” marketing campaign.

Dana F. White is an Emory university professor. This is an edited version of an article published by the American Historical Association.