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Molasses Act Passed by British House of Commons
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Savannah founded
James Oglethorpe and 144 men, women, and children sailed up the Savannah River. The town was founded to establish an ideal colony where silk and wine could be produced. -
The Confederation Congress reconvenes in New York City
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UGA founded
The University of Georgia was founded on January 27. Georgia was the first state to charter a state supported university. Abraham Baldwin was elected the first president of the university on February 13, 1786. -
The creation of the cotton gin
Eli Whitney created the cotton gin. It was a simple machine that separated cotton fibers from seeds. The invention transformed the course of agriculture in the Deep South. It created a deeper reliance on slavery and the plantation system. -
Yellow Fever outbreak in Philadelphia
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Land Lottery System
The land lottery system started in Georgia in 1805. Eight lotteries were conducted between 1805 and 1832. Georgia sold approximately 3/4 of the state to 100,000 families. The land was originally used for tobacco cultivation but shifted to large scale cotton production. -
Louisiana Territory created
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Benjamin Parks finds gold
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Gold Rush in Georgia
The Gold Rush started in present day Lumpkin County near Dahlonega. It is estimated that Georgia produced 24,000 kg of gold between 1928 to when commercial gold production stopped in the mid-20th century. Experienced gold miners in Georgia played key roles in the beginning of gold mining in Colorado. -
First U.S. dental society organized
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Rome, Georgia Founded
Rome, Georgia was founded on December 20. It was built on the confluence of the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers. The two rivers form the Coosa River. It is the largest city in Northwest Georgia and the 19th largest city in the state. -
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears began with the forced relocation of 60,000 Native Americans between 1830 to 1850. The Native Americans suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation. Thousands died before reaching the destination. -
U.S. Exploring Expedition departs for Pacific Ocean and Antarctica
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Mississippi becomes 2nd state to secede from Union
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Georgia Secedes
Georgia seceded from the Union as a result of Lincoln being elected president and the fear of slavery being abolished. The defense of slavery was the main reason for dissolving the Union. Georgia was the largest and most populous deep South state. -
The Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga was the biggest battle fought in Georgia during the Civil War. It is accepted as the second bloodiest engagement of the war with 34,000 casualties. The battle was extremely costly for both sides. It was considered a Confederate victory because it pushed the Union army back to Chattanooga. -
Battle of Gettysburg
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Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's march to the sea took place from November 15 to December 21. Sherman led 60,000 soldiers on a 285 mile march from Atlanta to Savannah. The purpose of the march was to scare Georgia civilians into abandoning the Confederate cause. -
Confederate General John Bell Hood invades Tennessee
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Reconstruction
Reconstruction started in Georgia in 1865. Republican government and military occupation ended. Reconstruction transformed the state politically, socially, and economically. -
General Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House
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Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, & South Carolina readmitted to U.S.
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Atlanta becomes the capital
Atlanta became the capital of Georgia on June 30. A train of 16 cars left Atlanta to travel to Milledgeville to bring back statehouse furniture and furnishings. On July 4 the first meeting of the legislature took place on the site of today's capital. -
The 15th Amendment gave black males the right to vote
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Readmitted to the Union
On July 15 Georgia became the last former Confederate state to be readmitted into the Union. Georgia finally agreed to seat more black members in the state legislature. -
Saint Thomas Academy founded in Minnesota
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GA Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology was founded on October 13. The doors opened in 1888 to 84 students. It offered only one degree in mechanical engineering. It is the birthplace of Georgia State University and Southern Polytechnic State University. -
William McKinley defeats William Jennings Bryan for presidency
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Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was born on November 8 in Atlanta, Georgia. She was the author of the famous novel Gone With the Wind. She married Berrien "Red" Kinnard Upshaw on September 2, 1922 and then married John Marsh on July 4, 1925. She died on August 16, 1949 after being struck by a drunk driver in Atlanta. She is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Georgia. -
Berry College
Berry College was founded by Martha Berry in Rome, Georgia. It was first known as the Boys Industrial School with the mission of providing educational opportunity to poor children in the rural South. It became a 4 year college in 1926. It is the world's largest campus with 27,000 acres. It is located 72 miles northwest of Atlanta and 75 miles South of Chattanooga. -
Delta Zeta Sorority founded at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
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Atlanta Race Riot
Atlanta Race Riot occurred from September 22 to September 24. White mobs killed dozens of black Georgians, wounded others, and inflicted larges amounts of property damage. Alleged assaults on white women by black men were the catalyst for the riot. -
Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower 1st National Monument
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New York Stock Exchange closed due to war in Europe
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Ellen Axson Wilson
Ellen Axson Wilson was the wife of President Woodrow Wilson. She died of Bright's disease on August 8. She is buried at Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Rome, Georgia with her family. Ellen Axson Wilson grew up in Rome and met her future husband while he visited his cousin Jesse Wilson in Rome. -
The Great Atlanta Fire
The Great Atlanta Fire began on May 21. The fire was fueled by hot temperatures and strong winds. The fire burned for 10 hours and destroyed 300 acres and 1,900 structures. Damages estimated at almost $5 million dollars. -
Tornado strikes Mattoon, Illinois killing 101 people
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Rome's Levee
The H. H. Keel Levee system was built in Rome, Georgia. It was built to withstand flood waters of 42 feet. The levee is 100 feet wide at the base and 10 feet wide at the top. Cost of construction was $391,080. A levee commission was formed in 1891 when the Oostanaula River crested at 40.3 feet. In 1892 many buildings on Broad Street were elevated to fight frequent flooding. -
1st person proposes fluoridation of public water supplies
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The Albany Movement
The Albany Movement began in the fall of 1961 and ended in the summer of 1962. It was the first mass movement in the modern civil rights era with the goal of desegregating an entire community. It resulted in the jailing of 1,000 African Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. considered the movement a failure but the African Americans in Albany viewed it as a success. -
Black voting rights activist Herbert Lee murdered by E. H. Ruth
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Jimmy Carter
Georgia governor Jimmy Carter became president on January 20. He was the 39th president and beat Gerald Ford for office. He grew up in Plains, Georgia and still resides there with his wife, Rosalynn. -
President Carter pardons Vietnam War draft evaders
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Atlanta Child Murders
The Atlanta Child Murders occurred from July 1979 to May 1981. At least 28 children, adolescents, and adults were killed. Wayne Williams, who was from Atlanta, was arrested and convicted of two of the adult murders. He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison. In March 2019, the Atlanta police reopened the case with the hope that new technology would to lead to a conviction for the other murders. -
Raymond Washington-co founder of the crips-shot and killed 5 months after arrest for quadruple murder
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Great Flood of 1993
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Blizzard of 93
The blizzard of 1993 hit metro north Georgia on March 13. Nearly 2 feet of snow fell across parts of extreme North Georgia. It was knows as the "Storm of the Century". 1.5 million southerners were without power and 15 people died. -
Summer Olympics
The summer Olympics were held in Atlanta from July 19 to August 4. It was the 4th summer Olympics to be held in the United States. More than 10,000 athletes competed in 26 sports. It was the 1st Olympics since 1924 to be held a different year than the winter Olympics. The Olympics left a lasting impact on the city. Centennial Olympic Park served as a symbol of the Games' Legacy. -
Centennial Olympic Park Bombing