Atlanta, Then and Now (1871 to 2011)

In 1864, General Sherman of the Union ordered his troops to burn Atlanta to the ground, sparing only churches and hospitals along their way to Savannah. Upon the completion of the Civil War, reconstruction efforts began throughout the south. With the State Capitol moved to Atlanta in 1868 and a significantly improved transportation infrastructure taking hold in the 1870s, Atlanta began a period of substantial growth that continues to this day.

An 1871 panoramic map of Atlanta, via the Library of Congress, shows how much more growth and density the city could accommodate within its street grid and reassembled rail infrastructure. A current "birds-eye" view of Atlanta via Bing maps shows just how much the city has changed, 147 years after having to start essentially from scratch.