",,: ,\~ GEORGIA: Land of OUf Delight ~.'!< ...~' ~~{ While Georgia was the youngest of the original 13 states. her rich and varied history goes back thousands of years. For untold centuries. the sprawling land of red hills and sandy plains was inhabited by a colorful tapestry of Indian nations who left their mute testimony in the mounds of Ocmulgee and Etowah. their painstakin~ inscriptions on mountain rocks and a litany of legends passed down through the a~es, The Creeks and Appalachicolas. Cherokee and Yamassee had deep rooted cultures when the first Spanish explorers pushed northward from Florida in the 16th century. Hard on the heels of these helmeted adventurers came pious Spanish friars who established a chain of dusty missions along the coast. which they called Guale. But the Spanish lacked the settlers and traders to bolster their fra~ile missions and scattered forts. and when the industrious English moved into the Carolinas to challenge Madrid's New world claims. the Spanish retreated to Florida. Georgia was a "debatable land" then. a vast. uncharted. bloody wed~e between the En~lish settlement of Charles Town and the mossdraped Spanish citadel at St. Au~ustine. The land cried out for colonists. cultivation and peace. The man who brought all three was James Edward Oglethorpe. HISTORY The youngest son of a minor aristocrat. Oglethorpe had led a committee of Parliament studyin~ the pli~ht of English debtors in 1729. HOrrified by what he saw and anxious to help these unfortunates to a new life. O~lethorpe assembled a ~roup of ministers. politicians and businessmen and applied for a royal charter to set up a new American colony. The charter was granted in 1732. The colony would he named for King George II. On February 12. 1733. oglethorpe led J 14 weary people up the steep slope of Yamacraw Bluff to found the town of Savannah. Georgia had be~un. It was not a debtor colony which started stretching up the river and sowh along the coast. Although there were a few debtors. most of the new settlers were respectable and financially solvent. Philanthrophy played a minor part. Georgia was to be a military buffer zone a~ainst the Spanish and a storehouse of raw materials for her mother country, As Oglethorpe rushed about layin~ out towns and villa~es. forts and roads. his colony took on an international flavor as immi~rants flooded in. There were fierce. hardy Highland Scots at Darien. industrious German Lutherans at Ebenezer. and Moravians. Jews and Irish intermingled with the English settlers. Besides learning to build and scratch a liVing from the land. the colonists also had to learn to fight. and their military mettle was tested severely during the War of Jenkins' Ear from 1739 to 1742, Oglethorpe conducted an illfated invasion of Spanish Florida. which fell apart before St. Augustine. but held off the angry Spanish in the Battle of Bloody Marsh on St. Simons Island near Ft. Frederica. HISTORY Yet, while the Georgians successfully defended themselves against the Spanish, the colony was crumbling from within. The Utopian schemes of the 21 Trustees in London could not work on the grim colonial frontier. The settlers were infuriated over a ban on rum and slaves and resented the feudal land ownership policies. in June 1752, unable to handle their problems abroad, the Trustees surrendered their charter to the King and Georgia became a Royal Colony Over the next two decades, Georgia slowly grew and prospered under three royal governors who exercised almost dictatorial powers over the colony. John Reynolds (1754-1757) was a displaced naval officer who left in disgrace when his government collapsed in corruption. Henry Ellis (1757-1760) was an amateur scientist who enjoyed politics but abhorred Savannah's hot summers. James Wright (1760-1776) was the last and the brightest of the governors. An able Button Gwinnell Grear Seal (reverse) 1861-72 were black slaves brought in for the backbreaking labor of rice and indigo cultivation. Trade was mainly with England and the West Indian colonies. Savannah was an importexport center, while Augusta was a crossroads for the Indian trade. Transportation in these early days was grueling and dangerous. A crude network of rutted roads connected the main towns but most goods and passengers traveled by pole boats, rafts or canoes. With few doctors. life was hazardous at best and clisease, poverty and Indian raids took a heavy toll. In the larger towns. life, though not luxurious, was at least safer. By the 1770S. Georgia was able to hold her head up among her sister colonies, just in time to watch the storm clouds of revolution sweeping over the horizon. The Stamp Act of 1765 had been the burr under the colonial saddle. a warning of what England could and would do if she were strapped for tax revenue. When the hated act was repealed. the colonists had only a short breather before new taxes rolled down from Parliament-duties on sugar and cloth. lead and tea, and a dozen other necessities. Trustee's Seal (reverse) 1732 administrator and politician, he brought thecolonyoutoftheeconomicdoldrums but onto the road to revolution. He would hold the office, broken only by a brief wartime flight, longer than any man before or since. Georgia was an agricultural colony in those days, with rice and indigo plantations sprawling along her broad lazy rivers and down the marshy coast line. Ships leaving her ports of Savannah and Sunbury also groaned under the heavy loads of corn, tobacco. lumber, naval stores and Silk. By the time of the Revolution, nearly half of her population HISTORY ..,. been ,set up in 1776 with Archibald Bulloch as President and. by 1777, a constitution was approved, Georgia's parishes, a British creation, were abolished and counties were drawn. Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and George Walton proclaimed Georgia's intentions when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In May 1777, the first legislature met and elected John Adam Treutlen as governor. In the meantime. Georgia Patriots. spurred on by the victory at Kettle Creek and aid from France. laid siege to Savannah in October 1779. Polish Count Pulaski and French troops under Count d'Estaing joined the Patriots, only to be defeated. Casualties were high and Pulaski was dead. The British moved northward, taking Augusta in June 1780 and leaVing the town garrisoned by Tory Colonel Thomas Brown. a man bitter with the memory of Patriot tar and feathers. In September, Elijah Clarke and 300 Patriots attempted to retake Augusta in a bloody. four day battle. The victorious Colonel Brown vented his anger by hanging 13 Patriot prisoners. Augusta's liberation came in June 1781, when General "Lighthorse Harry" Lee led his men to victory in a battle known as the second Siege of Augusta. War had come late and victories were few, but, in the end, on July I I. 1782, Savannah surrendered JAMES EDWARD OGLETHORPE (16961785) (!>hOUHl on cOl'cr) James Edward Oglethorpe was the founder of Georgia. the 13th British Colony in America. Born in London of a wealthy and fitled Jacobite family. he received his education at Eaton and Corpus Christi College (Oxford University). Oglethorpe was elected to Parliament and served a lotal of 32 years. most of which transpired after his return from Georgia. ShOWing an early concern for the plight of the poor and oppressed people bf England. Oglethorpe's interest in Americ'a was aroused while chairing a Parliamentary committee on the condition of the English jails. He. along with the Earl of Egmont and others. was instrumental in securing a charter for the colony in June of t732. The popularity of the project resulted in imperial, commercial and religious motivations overcoming the early dehtorprovince idea. After obtaining a grant from Parliament (10 which he added a considerable sum). oglethorpe and some one hundred colonists set sail, These colonists, for the most parI. were members of the lower middle class (such as laborers and shopkeepers). with a sprinkling from the classes both above and below. In February 1733. the party landed on the banks of the savannah River near the village of Yamacraw. a selliement of the Creek nation. Oglethorpe'S dealings with the Indians were consistently fair. After concluding a treaty with Chief Tomochichi, oglethorpe laid plans for the lown of Savannah. His layout is regarded as a superb example of urban planning. During the War of Jenkins' Ear. oglethorpe led the defense of Georgia againsl an invasion by the Spanish. Victory was achieved in July 1742. thereby ending Spain's lasI serious allempt to recapture her old mission province. oglelhorpe returned to England in 1743. married. and joined the Hanoverian party. He served in the English army as a MajorGeneral. Toward the end of his long life. he sellled down to a life of good books and good company. including visits with John Adams. the first American ambassador to Britain. Trustee's Seal 1732 to the Patriots and the war in Georgia was over. The Georgia General Assembly convened again in Savannah and in 1783 elected Lyman Hall as governor. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the federal constitution in 1788. with all delegates, led by Abraham Baldwin and William Few. voting in favor. Few, along with James Gunn. was elected to the United States Senate. The DemocraticRepublican Party. reflecting the principles of states' rights and Jeffersonian Democracy. became the party of the majority of Georgians. HISTORY After two revisions. the Georgia Constitution of 1777 was discarded in 1798 and a new document emerged that lasted until 1861. The location of the state capital was equally lested as it moved to Augusta in 1786. to Louisville in 1795. and finally to Milledgeville in 1807. where it remained until after the Civil War. AS Georgia recovered from the war. cotton production increased. aided by the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney of Georgia. and cotton soon became "King Cotton:' replacing rice as the major crop. But Georgia also produced corn. tobacco. sugar cane and naval stores. Agriculture was the soul of Georgia'S economy and planters grew increasingly dependent on slave labor. AS new settlers came. the Indians moved westward. and Augusta welcomed industry to replace the Indian trade. Savannah remained the port city. while the old coastal. colonial towns of Sunbury and Ebenezer ceased to exist. For two decades the steamboat was king of commerce on Georgia's rivers but by 1840 it had been replaced by railroads. The last stake in the Western and Atlantic Railroad became a new city. Terminus. which was destined to become Georgia's capital city. Atlanta. Georgia's new industries brought prosperity to some. but for workers. conditions were unpleasant and salaries rarely generous. In 1842 Doctor Crawford W. Long opened an entirely new area in medical technology when he discovered ether could be used as a surgical anesthesia. Georgia's frontier grew smaller in the early 19th century. Permanent qUickly as it had grown. Investigations exposed corruption as high as the United States Senate. and the Federal Government. in an 1802 treaty. took control of these lands. establishing Georgia'S borders as they are today. Gold fever and westward expansion forced the Indians out of their lands in western Georgia. The Creek removal. known as the "Trail of Tears." began in 1825 with the Treaty of Indian Springs. Signed only by Creek Chief William Mcintosh. the treaty was declared invalid and MCintosh was murdered by Creeks who opposed the treaty. But a treaty of 1827 was upheld and the Creeks. having ceded their Georgia lands, pushed westward. As the Creeks were beginning their trek. the Cherokees were establishing a capital Flag of France 1500-1700 FlrSI Official Siale Flag 1799-1879 Slars and Siripes 1777-1794 boundaries resulted from the Yazoo Land Fraud. Georgia claimed land as far west as the Mississippi River and. in 1795. this land was granted to land companies. The next year a new legislature rescinded the contracts and the Yazoo bubble collapsed as HISTORY 1862. One year later. 1800 Federals surrendered at Rome. But the tide was turning. Federals took Tybee Island in December 1861 and Ft. Pulaski fell to the orth four months later. The Battle of Chickamauga in 1863 gave the Rebels a taste of victory. but it soon grew bitter. The final blow came early in t864. General William T. Sherman marched down from Tennessee. fighting the Rebels on a bloody path to Atlanta that included Resaca. Kennesaw Mountain. New Hope Church and Pickett's Mill. The Confederate troops. led by General J. B. Hood. were outnumbered and their strategy proved ineffective. Sherman's forces took Atlanta on September 2. burned the city on November 15. and began the March to the Sea. taking Savannah late in December. On May 10. 1865. Jefferson Davis. President of the Confederacy. was captured near Irwinville. Georgia. and the war in Georgia was ended. The war left Georgia debtridden and devastated. her fields and forests battlescarred. slaves gone and factories gutted. The railroad networks were in shreds. Confederate currency was worthless and investments in Confederate bonds and slaves were a total loss. Reconstruction began in July 1865. and while a new constitution established several social reforms. the government incurred the wrath of congress and military rule was extended to Georgia in 1867. The 14th Amendment was ratified by Georgia on July 21. 1868. and Georgia's Congressmen were immediately seated. Then. in September. the State Legislature expelled its 27 Negro members. After only one month of restitution. Georgia Congressmen were unseated and military rule was again extended. The results were Republican legislature and the ratification of the 15th Amendment. On July 15. 1870. Georgia was readmitted to the Union. The Democrats took over and gained a majority in the Legislature in 1870. A new constitution was ratified in 1878. Mid-19th Century Georgia provided a setting for literary works by Georgia authors. Joel Chandler Harris wrote his "Uncle Remus" tales. while Sidney Lanier wrote prose and poetry describing a Georgia that was disappearing as he wrote. For the first time in Georgia's history. barons of industry and big business took the reins of political leadership from the farmers in 1872. Known as the "Bourborn Triumvirate." Joseph E. Brown. Alfred H. Colquitt and John B. Gordon ruled the Democrats until 1890. aided by newspaper editor Henry W. Grady. The populist wave hit in the 1880s ancl. led by Tom Watson. rallied the rural Democrats against the "Triumvirate." The people's party elected Tom Watson to Congress. Then. faced with Watson's defeat as a presidential and vicepresidential candidate and unable to gain a majority in the state legislature. the populists merged with the Democrats after 1890. The rural conservatives gained control and Tom Watson was elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat in 1920. With emancipation. sharecropping replaced slave labor. breaking up large plantations into small farms in the process. Low cotton prices led to cliversifiecl agriculture and the birth of new industries. This was the heyday of naval stores. inspired by the improved "Herty cup" for collecting resin for turpentine developed by Charles Herty of Georgia. The Georgia pine forests had harely been tapped but soon the Georgia pine was regarded as a valuable resource for lumber. pulp and naval stores inclustries that were bringing economic recovery to Georgia. By the 1880s. the railroads were again at full strength and the signs of war devastation were slowly disappearing. Stainless Banner with Red Band 1865 HISTORY ~ Since 1870. there have been no successful challen~esto the Democrats' political control. T-he Neill act of t917 created the County Unit System. givin~ rural counties the power to determine the winners of the primary election. AS a result. victory in the Democratic primary was tantamount to election. The County Unit System did not provide adequate representation for growin~ urban areas. and was struck down by the Federal Courts in \962 Linder Governor Ellis Arnall. a new constitution was written in \945. the votin~ a~e was lowered to 18. and the poll tax was abolished. In the 20th century. Georgia agriculture became "bi~ business." brin~in~ sharecropping to an end around 1940. Cotton no longer rules the market. Today's products are soybeans. corn. peanuts. tobacco and poultry. The lumber and textile industries have continued to grow and new industries such as mobile homes. aircraft. automobiles have moved in. The C5 Transport Plane was conceived and constructed at Georgia's Lockheed Marietta Plant. Tourism. especially along Geor~ia's lon~ coast and on the Sea Islands, is a fastgrowing industry. Many 20th century Georgians have made outstanding contributions to United States cultural history. Martha Berry founded the Berry Schools to educate the rural mountain children. In 1912 at Savannah, Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girls Scouts of America. Georgia authors are known worldwide and include: Erskine Caldwell, Tohacco Road and God's Little Acre; Carson McCullers, The Heart is a LoneJu Hunter; Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind; and Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, Georgia Scenes. Industriaiists Asa Candler and Robert Woodruff built the CocaCola empire from a formula originated by John S. Pemberton, and Georgian Rebecca Felton was the first woman to serve in the United States Senate. Many 20th century Georgians made such significant contributions in their lifetime that the mere mention of their names, Walter F. George, Richard B. Russell. Carl Vinson, Cason Calloway, Martin Luther King, Jr" can spark hours of conversation. Georgia's heritage is a blend ofcultures vastly different but equally valuable. These cultures are rich with the history of their European, African and native Indian ancestry and all have made notable contributions to the social. political and economic history of this state. Georgia, the youngest and weakest of the 13 colonies. has overcome the disadvantages experienced as a colony because of the fortitude of the people of these cultures in the 200 years since 1776. Today, her people of her land, from mountains to the sea isles to the southern pinelands. offer the promise of progress and the best of tradition. 1879 Flag 1879-1905 Flag 1956-Present April 1764 Sugar Act passed 1765 March Stamp Act passed. November 5 Stamp master hanged in effigy by citizens of Savannah. November 6 Earliest mention of a Sons of Liberty meeting. December 5 Slamps brought to Georgia on the H.M.S. Speedwell. 1766 February 2 Governor James Wright senl stamps away on the H.M.S. Speedwell. February 22 Parliament repealed stamp Act. July t6 Word of repeal of Stamp Act reached Georgia. The General Assembly convened and passed a Resolution of Thanks. January OCtober 1767 Geor~ia Assembly refused to provide barracks for British forces who were to be housed under the Quartering Act. Townshend Act passed. 1768 April 5 Benjamin Franklin appointed as agent to represent Georgia along with pennsylvania in Britain. December 24 Governor Wright dissolved the Geor~ia Assembiy when they presented circulars opposing the Townshend duties. 1769 January Georgia Assembly exempted four southern parishes from faxes because they had no representation as they were not officially a part of the Georgia colony. September 6 A leller in the Georgia Gazette announced that "H we are no longer to be allowed the rights of Britons we must be Americans." September 16 Some Savannah merchants agreed not to import British goods taxed under the Townshend Act. April May 1770 The Townshend Acts were repealed except for the duty on tea. South Carolina voted to cut orr trade with Georgia for nOl abiding by nonimportation agreements. A CHRONOLOGY OF THE REVOLUTION IN GEORGIA April 24 July 10 1771 Governor James ''''right refused to let Noble Wimberly Jones serve as speaker of the Commons House, and when the House objecled he dissolved the General Assembly. Wright went on leave 10 England. James Habersham became Acting Governor of the colony of Georgia. April 21 1772 ACting Governor James Habersham disapproved Noble Wimberly Jones as speaker on two occasions. He was elected a third time but declined to serve. Acting Governor Habersham learned of this and dissolved the General Assembly. February June I 1773 Governor Wright, now Sir James Wright, returned to Georgia and resumed his duties as Governor. Treaty of Augusta signed with the Cherokees and the Creeks. Governor Sir James Wright acquired for Georgia the ceded lands which is that area that became the original Wilkes County in 1777. 1774 June B Intolerable AclS passed. July 27 Patriots met al Tondee's Tavern in Savannah to consider the critical situation caused by the Intolerable Acts. August 10 Geor~ians met and resolved 10 obtain redress of grievances but did not send delegates to the First Continental Con~ress. September';:; First Conlinenlal Con~ress mel in Philadelphia. December 6 51. John's parish lT1eetin~ at Midway agreed to Continental Association actions. 1775 January 12 A resolution in support of the Continenla) Association was adopled al 51. Andrews parish. January 18 The Provincial Con~ress of Geor~ia mel in Savannah 10 elect delegates to the second Continental Congress. February 15 Savannah residents larred and fealhered a British revenue a~cnl. May 10 Second Cominenlal Congress mel. l':ews of Lexin~lon and Concord reached Geor~ia. May II Colonial powder magazine in Savannah seized. Legend has il that some of this pow(1er was laler usec( at Hattie of Bunker Hill. May 13 Lyrnan Hall se~llefl at Continental congress. He die! not vole since he only rcpresentcd one parish. SainI John's. May 17 Second Continental Congress stoppe Stotf' 01 Gt'OIglo pltnted In GeorgIa. February- Tory'S land seIZed and sold March at public aucllon. February 22 Governor Hall prohibited Ihe exportation of foodstuffs so as to have enough to feed the COntinental Troops. Apltl 18 Governor Hall proclaimed that reports of a peace had reached him and the General Assembly should meet. May t Restraints on tlade removed by lhe Stale. June General Anlhony Wayne and Conlinental troops leave GeorgIa. 5eptember3 United Stales and Great Btllaln sign Treaty of palts. January 1784 John Houstoun became Governor. GeoIJiIla passed a tattff law that Includeddutleson foreign goods and matetlal fromother stales. 1785 January samuel Elbert becomes Governor. GeorgIa passed a naturalizatiOn law. January 27 University of GeolJilla chartered in Athens. GeoIJiIla organiZed Bourbon COunty on the MissiSSippi River. January June 19 1786 Edward Telfair becomes Governor. Augusta made the lemporary capllal of GeolJilla. General Nathaniel Greene died at Mulberry Grove. Marauding slaves loosed by lhe Revolution were anacked In their savannah River bonom stronghold and defeated. January 1787 George Mathews elected Governor. Tugaloo River set up as Ihe upper boundary between GeorgIa and SOuth Carolina. William Few and Abraham Baldwin signed the t 'nlted StateS conslltullon. January January 2 1788 oeorge Handley becomes Governor. GeoIJiIla becomes the fourth Slate to rallty the new I'nlled States consIItullon. January May 1789 oeorge Walton becomes Governor. GeoIJiIla's government begins operatiOnS in accordance with the Federal COnstitution State COnsitutiOnal Convenllon met In AuRusla to form a constitution for lhe State of Georgia. OCtober 18 1790 Dr. Lyman Hall. signer ot Ihe Declarallon of Independence. died. May 16 1791 George washington he!'!an tour of Stale of Georgta. 1799 December 15 General Elijah Clarke died. February 2 1804 GeorI'!e Walton. siROer of the Declaration of Independence. died. March 19 1825 General Lafayelle landed in savannah for a lOUr of Geor~la. 1 2 3 4 GEORGIA: STATE PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES STATE PARKS I. Amicalola Falls 2. Black Rock Mountain 3. Bobby Brown 4. C10udland 5. Crooked River 6. Elijah Clark 7. Fort Mountain 8. FortYargo 9. Franklin D. Roosevelt 10. General Coffee II. Georgia Veterans Memorial 12. Hamburg 13. Harel LaborCreek 14. High Falls 15. Indian Springs 16 John Tanner 17. Kolomoki Mounds 18. Laura S. Walker 19. Little OCmulgee 20. Magnolia Spring 21. Missletoe 22. Moccasin Creek 23 Red TOP Mountain 24. Reed Bingham 25. Richmond Hill 26. Seminole 27. Stephen C. Foster 28. Tugaloo 29. Victoria Brya n t 30. vogel 31. Nancy Hart Park 32. Unicoi 33. watson's Mill 34. Gordonia Altamaha 35. Skidaway Island DAY USE PARKS 36. Chattooga Lakes 37. panola Mountain 38. Providence Canyon 39. Santa Maria C2 01 E3 A2 GIO F4 B2 03 B6 E8 C7 E5 04 C5 C5 A4 B8 F9 E7 G5 F4 D2 B3 09 H8 BIO FlO E2 E3 C2 E3 C2 E3 F7 H8 A2 C4 B7 GIO HISTORIC SITES I. A. H.Stephens Museum E4 2. ChiefVann House B2 3. Dahlonega Gold Museum C2 4. Etowah Mounds B3 5. Fort at Sunbury(Fl. Morris) H8 6. Fort King George H8 7. Fort McAllister H7 8. Lapham Patterson House cia 9. Midway Museum G8 10. New Echota B2 II. Traveler's Rest 02 12. Ebenezer H6 13. Fort Frederica National Monument H9 14. Chickamauga anel Chattanooga National Military Park A2 15. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park B3 16. Stone Mountain Memorial State Park C4 17. The Little While House B5 18. Ocmulgee National Monument 06 19. Agrirama D8 20. Cumberlanel Islanei National Seashore H9 21. Andersonville National cemetery C7 22. State Capitol B4 23. Governor's Mansion B4 24. Jekyllisianel G9 25. Jarrell Plantation C5 26. Fort Pulaski National Monumenl H7 WELCOME CENTERS I. Atlanta 2 Augusta 3. Columbus 4. Kingsland 5. Lavonia 6. Ringgold 7. Savannah 8. Sylvania 9. valdosta B4 F4 A6 GIO 02 A2 H7 G6 010 f?AST GOVERNORS AND CAPITALS I .~ ~\IJ II IT ~E i ",-~ -~-,_-: ~J:':-~ :-d~ ~ .. Savannah Milledgeville NAME TERM James Edward oglethorpe. Residenl Trustee ............................ Feb. 12. 1733-1743 William Stephens. President ................................................. July II. 1743-1751 Henry Parker. President Apr. 8. 1751-1752 Patrick Graham. President OCt. 31. 1752-1754 (He lurned the government over to Royal Gov. Reynolds and became a member of the Council-Colonial Records.) John Reynolds OCt. 31. 1754-1757 Henry Ellis ................................................................. Feb. 16. 1757-1760 James Wright ................................................................ OCt. 31.1760-1776 Archibald Bulloch. Pres. of Council or safety Jan. 22. 1776- 1777 Bullon Gwinnett. Pres. of Council of Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. Mar. 4. 1777- 1777 John Adam Treutlen ........................................................ May 8. 1777-1778 John Houstoun ............................................................. Jan. 10. 1778-1779 John Wereat. Pres. of Ex. Council Aug.6. 1779-1780 George Walton................................................................. Nov. 1779- 1780 Richard Howley Jan. 4. 1780-Feb. 18. 1780. elected 10 congress Stephen Heard. Pres. of Ex. Council ......................................... Feb. 18. 1780-1781 Nathan Brownson Aug. 18. 1781-1782 John Martin Jan. 3. 1782-1783 Lyman Hall ............................................................. Jan. 8. 1783-1784 John Houstoun ......................................................... Jan. 9. 1784-1785 Samuel Elbert Jan. 6. 1785-1786 Edward Telfair ............................................................... Jan. 9. 1786-1787 GeorgeMathews Jan. 9. 1787-1788 James Jackson ............................................. Declined 10 serve as Governor GeorgeHandley Jan. 26.1788-1789 George walton ............................................................... Jan. 7. 1789-1789 Edward Telfair .......................................................... NOv. 9. 1789-1793 George Mathews ........................................................ Nov. 7. 1793-1796 Jared Irwin ................................................................. Jan. 15. 1796-1798 James Jackson Jan. 12. 1798-1801 David Emanuel. Pres. of Senate Mar. 3. 1801-1801 Josiah Tattnal!.Jr.............................................................. Nov. 7. 1801-1802 John Milledge ............................................................ Nov. 4. 1802-1806 Jared Irwin. Pres. of Senate .............................................. Sept. 23. 1806-1809 David Brydie Mitchell Nov. 10. 1809-1813 Peter Early Nov. 5. 1813-1815 DavidBrydieMilchell Nov. 10. 1815-1817 William Rabun. Pres. of Senate Mar. 4. 1817-1819 MallhewTalbot.Pres.ofSenale OCI. 24.1819-1819 John Clark .................................................................. Nov. 5. 1819-1823 George Michael Troup ...................................................... Nov. 5. 1823- 1827 John Forsylh ............................................ , ............... NOv. 7. 1827-1829 George Rockingham Gilmer Nov. 4. 1829-1831 Wilson Lumpkin ............................................................ Nov. 9. 1831-1835 William Schley .......................................................... Nov. 4. 1835-1837 George Rockingham Gilmer ............................................ Nov. 8. 1837- 1839 NAME TERM Charles James McDonald Nov. 6, 1839- 1843 GeorgewalkerCrawford Nov. 8.1843-1847 George washington Towns Nov. 3. 1847-1851 Howell Cobb Nov. 5. 1851-1853 Herschel vespasian Johnson Nov. 9. 1853-1857 Joseph Emerson Brown Nov. 6. 1857-1865 JamesJohnson, Provisional June 17, 1865-1865 Charles Jones Jenkins Dec. 14, 1865-1868 Gen. Thomas Howard Ruger Jan. 13. 1868-1868 Rufus Brown Bullock, Provisional......... .. July 4. 1868-1868 Rufus Brown Bullock. Reconstruction July 21. 1868-1871 Benjamin Conley, Reconstruction, Pres. of Senate OCI. 30. 1871-1872 James Milton Smith Jan. 12. 1872 -1877 Alfred Holt Colquill Jan. 12. 1877-1882 Alexander Hamilton Stephens Nov. 4. 1882-Mar. 4, 1883 James Stoddard Boynton. Pres. of Senate Mar. 5. 1883-1883 Henry Dickerson MCDaniel May 10. 1883- 1886 John Brown Gordon Nov. 9. 1886-1890 William Jonathan Norlhen Nov. 8. 1890-1894 William Yates Atkinson ,OCI. 27. 1894-1898 Allen Daniel Candler OCI. 29. 1898-1902 Joseph Meriwether Terrell OCI. 25, 1902-1907 Hoke Smith June 29. 1907-1909 Joseph Mackey Brown June 26. 1909-1911 Hoke Smith...... July I. 1911-1911 John Marshall Slaton. Pres, of Senale Nov. 16. 1911-1912 Joseph Mackey Brown Jan, 26, 1912-1913 John Marshall Slaton June 28, 1913-1915 Nathaniel Edwin Harris June 26. 1915-1917 Hugh Manson Dorsey June 30. 1917-1921 Thomas William Hardwick June 25. 1921-1923 Clifford walker June 30. 1923-1927 Lamartine Griffin Hardman. M.D June 25. 1927-1931 Richard Brevard Russell.Jr June 27. 1931-1933 Eugene Talmadge Jan. 10. 1933-1937 Eurith Dickinson Rivers Jan. 12. 1937-1941 EugeneTalmadge Jan. 14. 1941-1943 EllisGibbsArnall Jan. 12, 1943-1947 Eugene Talmadge (Elected. but died Dec. 21. 1946, before taking office in Jan .. 1947) Melvin E. Thompson. Lieut. Gov .. actinggovernor " , Jan. 20, 1947-Nov. 17. 1948 HermanEugeneTalmadge Jan. 14, 1947-Mar. 18. 1947: Nov. 17, 1948-Jan. II. 1955 S, Marvin Griffin .. , , Jan. II. t955-Jan. 13. 1959 Samuel Ernest Vandiver, Jr. Jan. 13. 1959-Jan, 15. 1963 Carl E. Sanders Jan, 15. 1963-Jan. 10. 1967 LesterMaddox Jan. 10, 1967-Jan. 12. 1971 Jimmy Carter Jan, 12, 1971-Jan. 14, 1975 George Busbee Jan. 14. 1975- (4year term) The seat of government for the 13th British Colony in America was where Georgia history began. in Savannah. After its capture by the British in 1778. the capital temporarily moved to Augusta. When it. too. fell to the Redcoats the business of government was conducted at Heard's Fort. Wilkes County. After Augusta was back in Georgia hands. the Legislature convened there in 1781 and 1782. The follOWing year state government returned to Savannah. During the 1783 session of the Legislature. Augusta became Georgia's capital for the third time. The lawmakers met there through 1795. At that time Louisville became the capital. Georgia's first permanent capitol bUilding was located on the site of the present Jefferson County Courthouse, In 1804 the Legislature passed an act moving the capital to Milledgeville, where it remained until 1877. For years there had been pressure to make booming Atlanta Georgia's capital. On Decem ber 5, 1877 the issue was pu I to a popular vote and Atlanta won. As a cornerstone on the northeast corner testifies, the present capitol was first occupied on June 15, 1889. Its total cost, $999,881.57, was some 5118 under the milliondollar appropriation for construction. Georgia gold was added to the dome in 1958, a gift of the citizens of Dahlonega and Lumpkin County, where it was mined. GEbR-GIA GOVERNMENT. SENATE: The Constitution of 1777 provided for a Legislative Department with ten members. consisting of a House of Assembly and an Executive Council. Each county represented in the House of Assembl~ was entitled to representation in the Council, i.e., to two councillors elected from the membership of the House of Assembly. In case of retirement or death of a councillor, his successor was selected from the remaining representatives of his county in the House. The Constitution of 1789 provided for a Senate and House of Representatives, both to be elected by the people. Senators were elected triennially for three-year terms from 1789 to 1795. An amendment to the Constitution adopted in May 1795 provided for oneyear terms and annual elections of senators. Biennial elections were provided for in a legislative act assented to on December 5. 1843. The present Senate consists of 56 Senators elected from as many Senatorial Districts. Presiding officer is the Lieutenant Governor, who is designated as President of the Senate. The terms of office of the Senators are for two years and they are elected by the voters biennially in November of the even-numbered years. The minimum requirements for the office of Senator are 25 years of age, citizenship in the State for four years and residence in the Senatorial District for one year. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: When Great Britain was exercising control through Executive Boards, the Constitution of Georgia was modified and legislative power was vested in three branches: The King's Governor, The King's Council or "upper House," and the Commons House of Assembly (later called the House of Representatives). The first General Assembly was in existence from 1775 until the outbreak of the Revolution. The commons or lower House was the representative body of the General Assembly and consisted of a group of delegates elected by landowners of the districts of the Colony, and the first Legislative Session convening in Savannah in 1755 consisted of 19 delegates. The history of the House of Representatives in the 200 years since cannot be separated from the total history of Georgia. For indeed, as a lawmaking body, page after page of history has been written by its members, many of whom went on to become Governors, congressmen and United States senators. The present House of Representatives consists of 180 members elected from 154 House Districts. Members are elected for Iwo-year terms biennially in November of evennumbered years. The minimum requirements for holding the office of Representative are 2 1years of age, citizenship in the State for four years and residence in the House District for one year. GEORG1A FACTS AND FIGURES population: 4.589.575 (1970 Census) Total Number of Counties: 159 Total Land Area: 58.111 square miles Total Area Submerged: 803square miles Total Number of Acres in Woodland: 24.066.400 Total Number of Miles Around State's Boundary: 1.05 I Length of State: 315 miles Breadth of State: 250 miles Elevation- Highest: 4.784 feet at Brasstown Bald Lowest: Sea Level Georgia leads all states in the production of paper and board. tufted textile products. and processed chicken. Among southeastern stales. Georgia ranks 1st in manufacture of transportation equipment. 1st in apparel. 2nd in food processing. 3rd in furniture and lumber production. 1st in wholesale trade. 3rd in retail trade. and 2nd in services and professions. Georgia leads the nation in the production of peanuts and pecans and ninetyfive percent of America's pimento peppers are grown and packed in Georgia. In addition. Georgia is the leading hog producing state in the Southeast. the NO.2 producing state for broilers and the NO.2 producing state for commercial eggs. Georgia is the No. I pulpwood state in the nation and also leads in the production of naval stores. Georgia leads the world in the mining of kaolin, is the nation's leader in the quarrying of granite and marble. and is second in the nation in the production of GOOQGIA The Live Oak. Stale Tree _....... JIIIt.'- ....;., --- ,w,lEN w. FORTSON Slale Son~ titanium and fuller's earth, rare earth concentration products. scrap mica and zircon. It ranks third in the production of kyanite and bauxite. fourth in production of barite. and fifth in feldspar production. The Brown Thrasher. Slale Bird The Cherokee Rose. Slale Flower FOR FURTHER INF., ORMATION: Governor George Busbee Executive Department State capitol. Room 203 404656 1776 Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller State capitol. Room 418 4046565030 Secretary of State Ben W. Fortson. Jr. State Capitol. Room 2 14 404656 2881 Comptroller General Johnnie L. Caldwell State Capitol. Room 238 404-6562056 Attorney General Arthur K. Bolton Law Department Judicial Bldg.. Room 132 4046564585 Archives & History. Department of (Div. of secretary of State) Miss Carroll Hart. Director 330 Capitol Ave .. S.E. 4046562358 Community Development. Department of Milton Folds. Commissioner Trinitywashington Bldg.. 6th Floor 4046563556 Corrections/Offender Rehabilitation. Department of Allen L. Ault. Ed.D.. Commissioner 800 Peachtree St.. N.E.. Atlanta 30308 4048945541 State Fire Marshal John R. Gore Office of Comptroller General State Capitol. Room 238 4046562056 Except where indicated. all state offices: Atlanta. Georgia 30334 Administrative Services. Department of Gayle Manley. Commissioner 116 Mitchell St .. Room 400 Atlanta 30303 4046565514 Agriculture. State Department of Thomas T. Irvin. Commissioner Agriculture Bldg.. Room 204 404-6563600 Defense (&Civil Defense). Department of Maj. Gen. Billy M. Jones The Adjutant General & Director. State Civil Defense P.O. Box 17965. Atlanta 30316 404-6561700 Education, State Department of Dr. Jack P, Nix State Superintendent of Schools Old State Office Bldg" Room 242 404-656- 2 800 House of Representatives Thomas B. Murphy, Speaker State Capitol, 3rd Floor 404-656-5020 National Bicentennial Celebration, Georgia Commission for the (Div of Secretary of State) A. K. Johnson, Jr.. Executive Director 1776 Peachtree St., N.W. Suite 520, South Wing Atlanta 30309 404-894-5780 Natural Resources, Department of Joe D. Tanner, Commissioner 270 washington St.. S.W. 404656-3500 Pardons & paroles, State Board of 800 Peachtree St.. N.E, Room 610 404894-5363 Public Safety, Department of Col. J. Herman Cofer, Commissioner 959 E. Confederate Ave .. S.E. 404-656-6063 Public Service Commission New State Office Bldg, Room 162 404-656-4501 Revenue, State Department of Nick P. Chilivis, Commissioner 270 washington St.. S.W.. Room 410 404-656-4015 State Senate, Zell Miller, President State Capitol. 3rd Floor 404-6565030 Transportation, Department of Thomas D. Moreland, Commissioner 20 Capitol Square 4046565206 Human Resources, Department of T. M. (Jim) Parham, Commissioner 47 Trinity Ave .. S.W. 404-656-5680 Labor, State Department of Sam Caldwell, Commissioner Labor Bldg.. Room 288 404-656-3011 Merit System of Personnel Administration, State New State Office Bldg., Room 572 404-656-2705 Except where indicated, all state offices: Atlanta, Georgia 30334 GEORGE BUSBEE GOVERNOR Dear Friends: Because Georgia is one of the Thirteen y Original States, the Bicentennial has produced renewed interest in our State's long and proud history. This increased interest created the need for a ready reference of basic information about Georgia. especially highlights of her role in the Revolution. Although the information contained in this booklet is not allinclusive. I think you will find it a useful and informative synopsis of our State's institutions. government, symbols and history A list of Department Heads with their addresses and telephone numbers has been included in this booklet to assist you in obtaining more detailed information about our great State. I encourage you to take advantage of the assets Georgia has to offer, and whether you are a visitor from another state or country or a citizen of Georgia, I am sure you will agree that Georgia is a fine place to visit and an even better place to live. Sincerely, George Busbee Office of the Governor Executive Department State capitol. Room 203 Atlanta, Georgia 30334