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After a rebellion against the proprietors broke out in 1719, this led to the appointment of a royal governor for South Carolina in 1720. After nearly a decade of the British government seeking to locate and buy out the proprietors, both North and South Carolina became royal colonies in 1729.
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James Oglethorpe landed in Savannah to found England's last Georgia colony. Georgia was founded in honor of King George. It was a project to help the poor and debt-ridden, as well as, to create a buffer for South Carolina the Spanish in Florida. The colony was under the direction of 20 trustees who would elect their own governing body, make land grants, and create their own laws and taxes. This is important because it's the beginning of modern Georgia history.
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The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War in America.
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Georgia attended the Second Provincial Congress in Savannah. They elected officials to attend the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. They also joined the ban on trade with Britain. This is significant for Georgia History because it is when Georgia chose to join the Revolutionary War and fight for freedom from Britain.
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British ships sailed up the Savannah River and proceeded to turn to rice boats for provisions. The local militia reacted by setting the Inverness on fire and sending it downstream, resulting in three other ships catching fire. This is significant because it led to the Governor missing the next provincial congress in Augusta and the election of Archibald Bulloch as president and Commander in chief of the militia.
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Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia
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Georgia's Constitution is enacted and creates Burke, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Richmond, and Wilkes counties. This signifies the first eight counties in Georgia and are all still counties found today.
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First major battle won by America - Battle of Saratoga - considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War
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Georgia legislators were bribed to sell a large portion of land in the western portion of their territory to four large land companies for $500,000. After a turnover of legislators, returning the money, and a long dispute, the US Supreme Court had to settle the matter. This is important because it is one of the major land frauds in our history.
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Pinckney's treaty was signed by Spain and US. This established the southern boundary of the US and gave Americans the right to navigate the Mississippi River.
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British and native forces defeat US forces (War of 1812)
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General John Floyd destroyed the Creek town of Autosse. This led to many of the Creeks retreating to Horseshoe Bend where General Jackson would defeat them in 1814 once and for all. This is important because Georgian's took all of the Creek land to sell in the Land Lotteries.
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Sir George Cockburn landed on Cumberland Island and invaded nearby St. Marys. The British occupied St. Marys until after the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent in February 1815. This led to British occupation of the Southern coastal area for over two months. This is significant because the British occupied this area even though the war was already over.
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Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812) - Even though the war ended on December 24, 1814, none of the combatants knew
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New Echota established in Georgia. It is the capital of Cherokee Nation. John Ross was elected the principle chief and Sequoyah developed a syllabary. This is vital in Georgia history because it was the first time an American Indian nation had been established. It was also around the same time the Creeks lost all their land in the US.
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North Carolina granted it's first charter to a gold mining company.
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Creek Indians lose all their land in US and were forced to move to Indian territory in Oklahoma.
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Benjamin Parks accidentally found gold in Northwest Georgia sparking the Georgia Gold Rush. Thousands rushed into the Dahlonega area to mine for gold. This is significant because it sped up the Georgia government's acquisition of the Cherokee land.
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The Cherokee's were forced off their land so that Georgia could obtain and sell it in Land lotteries. This is significant because it allowed white men to acquire more land for agricultural purposes ushering in the cotton era.
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Seminole Indians forced from Tampa Bay to the West on the Trail of Tears.
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The Compromise of 1850 consisted of five laws that dealt with the issue of slavery and territorial expansion.
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The convention that met in December 1850 declared Georgia ready to secede from the Union if Congress restricted the domestic slave trade, interfered with slavery in the territories, or refused to admit new slave states to the Union. They also insisted that the Union's preservation depended on the "faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave Bill." This is important because it set the stage for Georgia to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy.
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Georgia produced more than 780,000 bales of cotton. It accounted for 15% of the produced cotton for the year. This is important because it meant that Georgia was the third highest producer of cotton. It also meant that over half the people in living in Georgia were slaves.
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Paper bag manufacturing machine is patented by William Goodale, Massachusetts
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The first battle of the Civil War began when a Union ship was fired upon by the Confederacy.
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Alabama was the fourth state to secede from the Union and join the Confederate States of America.
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Georgia secedes from the Union and joins the Confederate States of America in the Civil War. It was the 5th state to secede. This is important because Georgia played a key part in the Civil War.
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The arsenal in Augusta was seized by the Confederate States of America ensuring the weapons were not taken by the Union armies. This is significant because if the Union armies had taken the weapons and ammo it would have crippled the Confederate troops.
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President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in the 11 southern rebellion states.
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The first major battle in Georgia was the Battle of Chickamauga. This is significant because it was the first time a major battle entered Georgia's territory. While the Confederates proclaimed victory, it costs over 18,000 lives.
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General Sherman marches through Atlanta in his March to the Sea. This led to the complete loss of Atlanta to the Confederate Army and eventually the loss of the war. This is important because after losing Atlanta to the Union army, all hope was lost of the Confederate States winning the war.
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General Ulysses S. Grant's Union Army at Potomac attacked Robert E. Lee's Confederates at Rappahannock River. It was also called the Battle of Fredricksburg.
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Robert E. Lee and over 25,000 Confederate troops surrendered at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
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Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union troops in Irwin County Georgia. This is important because while many already believed the war was over after the surrender of Robert E Lee and his troops and the assassination of President Lincoln, this solidified the end of the war. However, his poor treatment while in prison helped strengthen Southern nationalism.
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Virginia is the 8th state to be readmitted to the Union.
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On July 15, 1870, Congress passed legislation readmitting Georgia to the Union. Within a year, the Democratic party took control of the government and Georgia was fully represented in Congress again. This is important because a Republican would not be elected as Governor until 2003.
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USS Maine explodes in the harbor of Havana, Cuba with no warning effectively beginning the United States involvement in the Spanish-American War.
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Georgia was asked to send 3,000 troops to aide in the military campaigns in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. This is significant because it marks the entry of Georgia into the Spanish-American War, however, most Georgians were against occupying Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
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After the Atlanta newspaper reported four attacks on white women, fear circulated and let to an angry mob. This mob went down Decatur St, Pryor St, Central Ave, and the central business district destroying Black-owned businesses and attacking blacks. Reports indicated that 25 blacks and 1 white were killed before it was subdued. This is important because it caused a depression of Atlanta's black community and economy.
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Over 3000 blacks riot and demonstrate in Philadelphia.
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Georgia opened the large national army cantonment at Camp Gordon to train soldiers. This was located in Chamblee, Georgia which is northeast of Atlanta. This is significant because was the training site of the famous Eighty-second All-American Division.
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The United States declares war on Germany, thus entering WWI.
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President Franklin D Roosevelt begins his implementation of the New Deal. The New Deal was a set of domestic plans to help combat the Great Depression
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Tupelo, Mississippi residents were awaken from their slumber when an estimated eight F5 tornadoes swept through the northern residential sections of the city killing 216 and injuring approximately 700.
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Gainesville, Georgia experienced one of the worst weather episodes in the United States when a series of tornadoes destroyed it's downtown business district and some residential areas. This is still significant because it's considered the worst weather instances in the state. Over 200 people were killed and over 1,600 citizens were injured.
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On November 3, 1936 E.D. Rivers was elected Governor of Georgia. This was significant because he ushered in the necessary help Georgia needed on a state level from President Roosevelt's New Deal. His predecessor Governor Talmadge refused to accept help stating it was an intrusion on state and local affairs.
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US and Britain declared war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor, officially joining WWII.
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Coastal Georgia became a large contributor to the WWII efforts. Civilian laborers constructed nearly 200 "liberty ships." This is significant because this along with other military operations throughout the state effectively ended the Great Depression in Georgia.
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President Eisenhower launches the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.
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A desegregation campaign was formed in November 1961 to protest Jim Crow laws and support the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr along with the NAACP and other organizations peacefully protested to abolish segregation in public schools and places. This was a significant event because this movement paired with others eventually led to a legal end to segregation from Congress.
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Martin Luther King Jr gives his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
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Parts of Georgia's portion of I-95 opened in 1967. While it took until 1977 for the entire length of I-95 in Georgia to open, this was significant to small towns like Ludowici. With people choosing to travel on the interstate verses two lane highways, the economy in small towns like Ludowici was cut by 50%.
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Southwest America is faced with a recession that is linked to Mexico's. This causes large influx of Latino immigration to Southeastern US.
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Latino immigration became more predominant beginning in 1975 and continued until around 1995. Many Latino immigrants heard there was work to be found in Georgia. This took place during the recession in the American Southwest and Mexico, as well as, during the tightening of the border to Mexico. This is significant because the population of Latino's in Georgia grew by 10%.
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Atlanta hosts the Summer Olympics. This was an incredible opportunity for Atlanta to host athletes and dignitaries from around the world. It also brought a lot of jobs and provided and economic boost for the state.
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President Bill Clinton was re-elected president of the United States. He opened the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, GA.
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Sonny Perdue was elected Governor of Georgia. This is significant because he was the first Republican elected Governor since 1872.
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President George W. Bush was re-elected in the 2004 elections against John Kerry
