A National Endowment for the Humanities grant-funded project at the University of Georgia will bring new educational opportunities for Georgians to learn about the state’s colonial history, while preserving important historical documents and archaeological collections for future generations. The $743,658 grant funds a three-year project entitled Many Eyes on the Road to Revolution in Colonial Georgia, which focuses on the state’s early history from 1732 to 1798. 

Led by UGA’s Amanda Roberts Thompson, director of the Laboratory of Archaeology, Carey Garland, research scientist at the Laboratory of Archaeology, and Katherine Stein, associate university librarian for special collections, the project brings together a coalition of institutions dedicated to historical preservation. In addition to the Georgia Museum of Natural History and UGA Libraries units, including the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Digital Library of Georgia, Georgia Capitol Museum, New Georgia Encyclopedia, and the Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe, other partners include Georgia Southern University, R.M. Bogan Archaeological Repository, The Lamar Institute, and the Parks and Recreation Archaeology Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Together, these collaborators will align historical documents and cultural objects from early colonial archaeological sites to help tell the complex story of Georgia’s path to the American Revolution and statehood.  

“No single institution or collection holds all of the pieces needed to tell Georgia’s early history,” said Roberts Thompson. “By bringing together archivists, archaeologists, museum professionals, artists, and educators from across the state and preserving these pieces of Georgia’s past it will be possible for researchers and the public to see connections that have never been readily accessible before.” 

Due to incidents such as county courthouse fires, the “Battle of the Rice Boats,” and the destruction or development of archaeological sites over the past three centuries, many records from this period have not survived. But the project will ensure preservation and access to as much colonial history as possible, with plans to digitize more than 12,000 historical document pages that will become freely available online through the Digital Library of Georgia, a partnership of the UGA Libraries and GALILEO statewide virtual library. Laboratory of Archaeology and partner institution R.M Bogans Archaeological Repository will employ students to conduct rehabilitation of archaeological collections from these early colonial sites to support long-term preservation by stabilizing artifacts, improving storage conditions, and ensuring they are accessible for the future. 

Through the project, educational materials will be developed to share the state’s history, including two Georgia Road to Revolution journey kits that will be available to K-12 schools across the state, two exhibit marquees at the Georgia State Capitol Museum in Atlanta and materials to be shared at Wormsloe State Historic Park and Fort Morris State Historic Park, both near Savannah. 

“Journey kits allow students of any age to experience history with a hands-on approach,” said Stein, adding that the traveling reproductions will expand the reach of educational experiences beyond the thousands of school-age children who visit the UGA Special Collections Libraries in Athens and the Georgia Capitol Museum each year. In addition to copies of historical documents, the kits will include 3D reproductions of archaeological objects, produced by UGA art students, led by Amanda Manowski. “We are excited to bring Georgia’s history to students through memorable experiences that fulfill school curriculum while introducing them to the primary sources that created our state.” 

Other components of the grant include Archaeology Outreach days with public lectures, and an ArcGIS StoryMap that will provide access to geographical information about archaeological collections within this project.  

“Public outreach can transform archaeological research from a collection of discoveries into a shared understanding of Georgia’s early history for all,” Garland said. “ArcGIS StoryMaps will specifically be used to connect places, artifacts, and historical documents in a visually engaging and accessible way, allowing the broader public to explore the past and see how integrating archaeology and historical documents can continue to shape our understanding of Georgia’s heritage.”