The narrator is recalling a time when he was 12 and attended a church revival, the children were supposed to approach the front row and be "saved" by Jesus. The narrator, Hughes, had been told about this by his aunt prior to the actual event . so he was prepared for it and expected to be saved.
The history of Georgia could have been different if it were always considered an ideal home for its diverse population. That's because if the population was high Georgia will grow exponentially.
