Georgia History
Beginning with its discovery by De Soto in 1540, Georgia has over 400 years of recorded history. However, it was not until 1732 that it was colonized by the British. James Oglethorpe arrived on Georgia’s coast with 114 of what has been called “the most selectively chosen group of colonist to come to British North America”. There were businessmen, tradesmen and unemployed labors, but in an effort to create a colony void of temptation, any one of questionable repute, as well as attorneys and Catholics were not included. Slavery was prohibited. Unfortunately, the colonist soon discovered that many of the ideas they had chosen for profit, were unsuccessful. The colonist looked to the neighbors in South Carolina and noticed that commerce flourished as the planters there used slave labor to work their fields of rice and indigo. Consequently, by 1760 there were 15,000 slaves and 18,000 whites. By the 1860’s, 6% of the white families owned a minimum of 20 slaves and they held over half of the states property value. Georgia’s remaining farmers owned less than 5 slaves and managed land areas of 100 acres or less.
The Civil War in Georgia
If you ask a Georgian, why the state seceded from the Union, you will be told that it was for state rights. This is because many do not wish to give the answer of slavery. Ironically, most people believe that when Georgia seceded, they immediately joined the Confederacy. But in reality, it was not until 2 months later when southern leaders met in Montgomery, Alabama that Georgia became part of Confederate States of America.
Although many Georgians fought for the Confederate army, Georgia was not the site of many battles during the early stages of war. Rather, Georgia textiles mills and factories produced items needed to support the Southern troops. As Atlanta was in the center of the Confederacy, it was the most important transportation center in the South.
By 1863, things had changed for the worst for many Georgians. Many of those who had enlisted thinking that the war would be short lived, had realized that was not the case. Supplies for the troops, as well as their families back home, were in great demand. Many of the soldiers deserted and those who remained resorted to pillaging the struggling farms and fields they encountered. Unfortunately, things only got worse. In 1864, General William T. Sherman dealt devastating destruction on Atlanta, as he marched his Union troops toward Savannah. As war wrecked havoc across Georgia, many Georgian's lost their homes and their livelihood. Those who still had slaves would wake up one morning to discover that their slaves had slipped away during the night.
After the Civil War in Georgia
The years following the Civil War were difficult. Homes, businesses and towns needed to be rebuilt, yet there were limited financial resources. Due to the reconstruction of the banking system during the war, there were few banks available to from which borrow money for crops or farming. Consequently, many families began sharecropping. This allowed the farmer to borrow from the landowner based on the land’s value and the crops they were planting. The planters provided seeds, tools, and other necessities. Unfortunately, this was a flawed system. At settlement time, the planters often took excess dividends, leaving the sharecropper with little to live on. However, sharecropping did result into a temporary teaming of bi-racial farmers. This alliance became part of the Populist Party with Tom Watson as one of its strongest leaders.
New South-New Deal
The 1870’s and 1880’s introduced citizens to a new attitude. Atlanta Constitution editor, Henry Grady, urged the country to quit focusing on what they had lost, and get busy doing something about it. As people rallied to this philosophy, a New South emerged. By the early 1900’s, Georgia showed minimal prosperity. Atlanta industry was growing but the rest of the state was struggling, due to droughts and boll weevils that destroyed the crops.
Georgia, like the rest of the country, suffered greatly during the Depression. When in 1936 Eurith D. “Ed” Rivers was elected governor many Georgians were ready to accept President Roosevelt’s New Deal. The New Deal provided relief and assistance programs bringing relief to many Georgian families. When WWII began, Georgia became more prosperous as military bases opened and manufactures were producing airplanes, ships, and weapons.
The City Too Busy to Hate
Almost 100 years after the Civil War, many African-Americans still suffered due to segregation. In 1960, when many southerner cities were dealing with riots and sit-ins, Atlanta, Athens and other Georgian cities were more peaceful. When sit-ins or campaigns were started, businesses and public officials worked quickly to reach a compromise so everyone could get back to work. Consequently, Atlanta was dubbed, “The City Too Busy to Hate”.
Modern Times in Georgia
In 1971, then Georgia governor Jimmy Carter announced “racial discrimination is over”. During his leadership business increased, school funding increased and the state’s prisons were remodeled. By 1977, he had left the governor’s mansion in exchange for the White House. However, while he was in Washington, many farmers exchanged open fields for metro Atlanta and by 1990, Atlanta was home to more than 40% of the state’s population.
Today, Atlanta is headquarters to several corporations and in 1996, Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympic Games. There are numerous shopping centers, high rise hotels, and five star eateries, but that does not mean that Georgia has lost its southern charm. Not sure? Then pack your bags for a taste of hometown hospitality—Georgia style!
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