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Battle of Atlanta Facts & Worksheets

The Battle of Atlanta was fought on July 22, 1864, during the American Civil War.

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The Battle of Atlanta was fought on July 22, 1864, during the American Civil War. It took place just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, and was waged between the Union (The United States) and the Confederacy (The Confederate States).

See the fact file below for more information on the Battle of Atlanta or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Battle of Atlanta worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BACKGROUND

  • The city of Atlanta was of strategic importance to the Confederacy. It served as a railway terminus, supply depot, and a manufacturing hub.
  • Ulysses S. Grant had intended to advance on Atlanta from Chattanooga, Tennessee, in order to disrupt and corrode the stability of the Confederacy.
  • The year 1864 was important for people living in the North, as it was an election year.
  • Abraham Lincoln knew that if the war dragged on, it would cause disruption and tension between the Republican and Democratic parties and threaten his chances of reelection.
  • Lincoln knew that his ability to be elected for a second term hung in the balance of this Atlanta campaign.
  • The war had been going on for three years when Ulysses S. Grant was given command of the Union Army.
  • One of his goals was to capture the second-largest city of the union, Atlanta, which would mean a quicker end to the war.

THE BATTLE

  • The Atlanta Campaign began on May 6th 1864.
  • The Union forces, commanded by William Tecumseh Sherman, were divided into three field armies in order to engage the confederate field armies at the same time.
  • Due to his poor handling of the Union forces, General Joseph E. Johnston was dismissed by Jefferson Davis, who was the Confederate
    president at the Time. He was replaced by John B. Hood.
  • Sherman was only about five miles away from Atlanta when Hood took over command of the Army of Tennessee.
  • Part of Hood’s strategy was to attack the Union army aggressively to defend Atlanta.
  • Hood attacked on July 20th and July 22nd.
  • Despite fighting from approximately 12 p.m to 12 a.m the next day, as well as a couple of breaks in the Union lines, Hood fell back to defend Atlanta. The only result of Hood’s attack was a high casualty rate, which is something the Confederates couldn’t afford.
  • Atlanta was bombarded for about a month, at which point Sherman then withdrew his armies and only left a small force behind. He
    destroyed the railway tracks back to Atlanta on his way out.
  • After the final skirmish, the Battle of Jonesborough, Hood burned what was left of his army’s supplies and ammunition and left Atlanta.
  • Sherman took Atlanta, which symbolized a great loss for the confederacy, marked the halfway point in the Atlanta campaign, and virtually secured Lincoln’s reelection.

EFFECTS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BATTLE

  • The Battle of Atlanta and the campaign as a whole received a lot of coverage in the North.
  • The victory in Atlanta significantly bolstered Lincoln’s political standing and brought morale to the North.
  • Lincoln ended up winning the election over General George B. McClellan, earning 212 out of 233 electoral votes.
  • Although significantly damaged, Atlanta did recover, and a new bustling city emerged.
  • A marker to memorialize McPherson’s place of death was erected in Atlanta in 1956, along with several other markers to indicate notable events of the battle.
  • Along with these markers, other museums and historic places have been built to commemorate the battle, including the Cyclorama, which can be found at the Atlanta History Center.

Battle of Atlanta Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Battle of Atlanta across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Battle of Atlanta worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Battle of Atlanta which was fought on July 22, 1864, during the American Civil War. It took place just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, and was waged between the Union (The United States) and the Confederacy (The Confederate States).

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Battle of Atlanta Facts
  • Create an Infographic
  • Sherman vs. Hood
  • See, Think, Wonder
  • Battle of Atlanta Wordsearch
  • The Hood Mistake
  • Battle of Atlanta Crossword
  • Powerhouse Atlanta
  • Civil War Symbolism
  • Diary Entry: From the Battlefield
  • Our Five Senses

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Link will appear as Battle of Atlanta Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 25, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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