Atlanta, Georgia, September 8, 2021 – The Georgia Historical Society today announced that the focus of Study for the 2022 Georgia History Festival will be “From Marshes to Mountains, Georgia’s Changing Landscape: Geography, History, and Community.” From online and in-person programs and events for the public to new classroom resources and training opportunities for teachers, GHS will explore how land and our relationship to it have been crucial factors in creating social, cultural, economic, and political systems over time.
“Studying geography provides a unique perspective for understanding how the land has been connected to citizenship and civic participation throughout Georgia’s history,” said Christy Crisp, the Marilyn Memory McMullan Director of Programs at the Georgia Historical Society. “Through this focus of study, GHS will examine the forces that determine land use and ownership, why people move from place to place, and what it means to create a community.”
By focusing on the period of Georgia’s westward expansion in the 1830s through the end of Reconstruction, Festival programs and resources will explore many of Georgia’s diverse populations, from Native Americans and White settlers to enslaved and emancipated African Americans, and their changing and often contentious relationship to the land.
Following the release of new classroom resources and teacher training opportunities this fall, the Festival's public events kick off February 5 & 6, 2022, with the annual Colonial Faire and Muster at Wormsloe State Historic Site. Join us for this popular annual event as audiences of all ages enjoy special living-history programs and demonstrations in a historic outdoor setting.
Also, on February 6, we invite everyone to discover the history in their own backyard during Super Museum Sunday. Residents and visitors of all ages can experience our state’s rich history and cultural life as more than 100 historic sites, house museums, art museums, and other points of interest throughout Georgia open their doors free of charge. Visit georgiahistoryfestival.org for a list of participating sites, and check back often as new sites are constantly being added.
And don’t miss the fun on February 11, when we welcome students back for the beloved Georgia Day Parade. From the earliest days of the colony’s founding, Georgians have commemorated the landing of James Edward Oglethorpe and the first English settlers at Savannah on February 12, 1733. New learning activities supporting participation in Georgia Day will encourage today’s students to honor the spirit of the original Trustees whose motto, Non Sibi, Sed Aliis (Not for Self, but for Others), inspired Georgia’s founding.
And finally, the 2022 Georgia History Festival will culminate on Saturday, April 30, with Governor Brian Kemp’s induction of the 2022 Georgia Trustees at the annual Trustees Gala in Savannah. The Trustees Gala reigns as one of Georgia’s most successful non-political black-tie events, bringing together business, philanthropic, and community leaders from across the state and nation as the Governor and the Georgia Historical Society induct the newest Georgia Trustees, the highest honor the State of Georgia can confer.
For a complete list of events, with dates and times, including the Georgia History Festival webinar series for teachers and affiliate chapters, and opportunities for Georgia’s students, please visit georgiahistoryfestival.org or contact Patricia Meagher, GHS Director of Communications, at pmeagher@georgiahistory.com and by phone at 912.651.2125, ext. 153. Please note that all in-person events are subject to modification or cancellation due to COVID-19 restrictions.
###
ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.