Smithsonian's 'American Democracy' Exibit On Display At Atlanta History Center

ATLANTA — The Atlanta History Center this weekend debuted a traveling exhibition outlining the history of democracy in America.

“American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith” was created by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History and explores the foundations of the country’s democratic system and delves into sections about voting, citizenship, participation and protests.

“‘American Democracy’ explores the history of our government itself, and how we the people have interacted with it and changed it over time,” Atlanta History Center President & CEO Sheffield Hale said. “It’s important for us to learn about how we can affect and change our country. It’s our responsibility as citizens.”

The exhibit has been enhanced by Atlanta History Center staff to feature local artifacts and documents critical to Georgia’s place in the history of democracy.

“We have added materials to the exhibition to highlight Georgia’s own role in the historical drama of the exhibition,” said Michael Rose, the History Center’s Chief Mission Officer, “Artifacts include rare books, maps, a Civil War absentee ballot, a possum teddy bear, and other political and historic items. Like the nation as a whole, the story of democracy in Georgia is complex and powerful – I hope visitors will discover new aspects of our shared history.”

In addition to the exhibit, which will be on display at the Buckhead campus through March 23, 2022, the Atlanta History Center will sponsor a series of programs to complement the information on display.

Atlanta History Center is open for visitation Tuesday-Sunday, 9 AM- 4 PM. COVID-19 protocols are in place.