The Revolutionary War lasted eight long years, and in the same period, Georgia had nine governors cycling—or getting shot—out of office. Meet these historical politicians and celebrate the 250th birthday of America at the Georgia Capitol Museum’s new “Faces of the Revolution” tour, which r uns through year’s end. The free, hourlong tour is held Thursday afternoons and introduces visitors to 30 of the first Georgia leaders through portraits and busts in the Capitol art collection. “[We] want Georgians to learn more about the events that transpired right here in their own backyards,” says Madison Peterson, museum educator at Georgia’s Capitol Museum, who designed the tour. When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the fledgling nation was fractured between Whigs (radicals who resisted the royal government) and Tories (conservatives who remained loyal to the king). “These divisions and personality conflicts often led to military blunders and political missteps,” Peterson says. Archibald Bulloch is one of several 18th-century state governors depicted in the Georgia Capitol Museum’s “Faces of the Revolution” art tourCourtesy of the Georgia Capitol Museum In 1777 alone, Georgia rotated through three governors. After Governor Archibald Bulloch mysteriously died in office in February, the state’s revolutionary governing body gave the role to Button Gwinnett—yes, the namesake of Georgia’s most ethnically diverse county. Gwinnett’s long-haired bust sits in the Capitol rotunda, but his failed attempt to secure Florida for the fledgling United States cost him reelection in May. That same month, a rival, General Lachlan McIntosh, shot off some nasty words about him, so Gwinnett fired back with a duel—and died. Gwinnett’s early end secured his legacy, however: Antiques aficionados covet documents bearing his authentic signature, as he is considered the most valuable of the original Declaration of Independence signers. With Gwinnett gone, John Adam Treutlen got the job—quite the glow-up for a man who came to the colony as an indentured servant. Treutlen had helped write Georgia’s first state constitution earlier that year, which included democratic ideas such as annual elections and universal suffrage. (For certain White men, at least: Evidence strongly suggests that Treutlen was an enslaver, like other governors of this period.) “It’s fascinating to think about the ways our state’s constitution has changed over the years,” Peterson says, “especially when using it as a lens to view democratic principles and ideals at different periods in Georgia history.” Treutlen’s marble bust now stands in the North Atrium beneath the Gold Dome, another face of the revolution that gave birth to the United States of America. This article appears in our July 2026 issue. The post Georgia Capitol Museum celebrates America’s 250th with free “Faces of the Revolution” tour appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less