Georgia Historical Society

Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1839, the Georgia Historical Society is the private, non-profit historical society for the state of Georgia.  The oldest cultural institution in the state, and one of the oldest historical societies in the country, GHS fulfills its mission to collect, preserve, and share Georgia’s history by operating a library and archive at its headquarters in Savannah, by presenting a variety of educational programs across the state, and by authoring publications on Georgia and southern history for use by scholars and students of all ages around the nation.

GHS is member-supported, has active, mutually beneficial relationships with dozens of local historical society affiliates across Georgia, and in recent years has become a recognized resource for national scholastic and media organizations.

Library and Archives

The Society’s collection includes four million manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, 30,000 architectural drawings, 15,000 rare and non-rare books, and thousands of maps, portraits and artifacts, representing the collective memory of the state of Georgia and relating the stories of the state’s diverse people.

Publications and Scholarship

GHS has published The Georgia Historical Quarterly, the award-winning journal of record for Georgia and southern history, since 1917.  The Society also publishes Georgia History Today, a quarterly member magazine that examines the ongoing presence of the past.

Education and Outreach

GHS partners with school districts statewide to produce high quality programming for the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History grant and other programs.  GHS also works with university faculty to train teachers and create resources, including curriculum development and onsite workshops like the Landmarks of American History and Culture grant awarded to GHS by the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The Society also organizes online exhibits, sponsors essay contests, provides curriculum content, and creates other teacher resources.

Franklin Cromers Mill Covered Bridge

Historical Marker Program

GHS manages and is the granting authority for the Georgia Historical Marker Program, which educates citizens and visitors about the people, places, and events that have shaped Georgia’s past and present.  To date more than 130 of these distinctive black and silver markers bearing the Georgia Historical Society seal have been erected at significant locations statewide.

Programs and Events

GHS lecture series and other public programs feature renowned authors and historians discussing topics that bring history to life for audiences across the state. The Society also hosts Georgia Days, an annual two-week history education program, that commemorates the Georgia's founding in February 1733. And each year GHS recognizes selected individuals and organizations with a series of awards for noteworthy books, articles, programs, and service.

This website is made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.  Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this site do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.