Georgia’s Growth & The New Nation Take out your Foldable we made on Monday Georgia’s Growth & The New Nation Education & Religion Land Issues Technological Development Native American Removal

Education The University of Georgia The General Assembly approved UGA charter on Jan 27, 1785 as America’s first University of higher learning supported by the public. Abraham E. Baldwin was appointed by Governor Lyman Hall to author the charter for UGA. The University did not open until 1801. It expanded after the Civil War (under the Morill Act of 1872). **UGA originally called “Franklin College” – 1st building on campus was the Franklin building (for Ben Franklin) **First Land-Grant university **UGA responsible for all public education in the state

Religion The Spread of the Methodist and the Baptist Churches **Colonists had previously been members of the Church of England With Independence came a need for new Churches, people turned to the Baptist & Methodist churches During the Second Great Awakening (1790-1830) many Georgians turned to the Methodist Church. John Wesley had preached in Georgia years earlier. By the 1830s the Baptist Church began to expand; both were were popular with the working class. The states’ small towns and frontier towns were drawn to both religions. Many slaves also converted as the result of mission work on the plantations Camp meetings and revivals contributed to their growing popularity. Circuit riders were also common in the day resulting in new converts.

Land Issues Native Americans once controlled much of Georgia. Many, against the will of their people, gave up land in treaties with the British that was later handed over to the colonists. Headright System (1782) - under this land distribution system, colonists were awarded 200-1000 acres of land (depending on family size) of land to the heads of families (men). There was an influx of ranchers in search of grazing land. The practice would soon lead to corruption **The HEAD of the family had the RIGHT to own land. Each man could get 200 acres, and for each additional family member or slave, he could get 50 more, for a max of 1000 acres

Land Issues (cont’d) Yazoo Land Fraud (1795) – Most widely known land fraud in US history. Georgia politicians were bribed by land companies to pass a law that would allow them to purchase large tracts of land in western Georgia and to sell smaller parcels back to settlers for nice profit. **To pay back those who were cheated by the Yazoo deal, the state of Georgia had to give the US Government its’ land west of the Chattahoochee River (present-day Alabama & Mississippi), and the US paid over $3 million to settle with citizens Land Lotteries – this was a lottery system Georgia used to distribute the newly acquired Native American Lands People would pay money to enter a drawing to win land in Georgia

Land lottery

Land Issues (cont’d) Georgia has had 5 capitals since its founding in 1732 Savannah (1732 – 1777) Georgia’s first city & capital Augusta (1777 – 1796) Moved after British occupied Savannah during Revolution Louisville (1796 – 1807) Named for King Louis XVI of France Milledgeville (1807 – 1868) Named for Gov. John Milledgeville Atlanta (1868 – present) Named for the Western & Atlantic Railroad Originally named Terminus, then Marthasville, then Atlanta ** Georgia’s capitals  SALMA: Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, Atlanta As the population moved northward and westward, the capitals moved as well.

Technological Developments The Cotton Gin - Prior to the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, tobacco was Georgia’s most important crop. After this important invention, farmers were able to process 50 lbs. of cotton per day instead of 1 lb. by hand. Farmers began to move west in search of land to support cotton growth. Growing cotton became ever profitable. More slaves were needed. **New inventions caused the POPUATION of GA to INCREASE **Cotton Gin (short for engine), helped to remove seeds from cotton more easily & rapidly By early 1900s, GA had become a one-crop state. This resulted in economic disaster when the boll weevil wreaked havoc on the cotton crop. GA realized the need to diversify their agricultural production. Georgia’s warm, wet climate has made it an ideal location for agriculture.

Impact of cotton gin Clean more cotton  sell more cotton  buy more land  buy more slaves  plant more cotton

Technological Developments (cont’d) The Railroads – Savannah and Augusta were important business centers in Georgia. Businessmen felt competition from South Carolina rail lines connecting Charleston to Hamburg. The General Assembly responded in 1883 by chartering 3 rail lines The Georgia Railroad Co. (Athens) Central of Georgia Railroad Co. (Savannah-Macon) Western and Atlantic Railroad (Georgia-Tennessee) By 1861, Georgia had a system that connected eastern and western economies. Towns began to prosper as businesses grew up along this corridor. Steam technology made travel and business more rapid and efficient. (Steamboats & Railroads)

Creek Indians & Treaties The Treaty of New York 1790 - The federal government sided with Creek claim to land west of the Oconee River. Raids and massacres resulted. Many Georgians ignored treaty as they began to distrust the federal government. **Signed by and enforced by President George Washington and Chief Alexander McGilvray was a Creek Chief who played an important role in white resistance. Compact of 1802 – Georgia received $1.25 million and the US Government agreed to remove all Native Americans from its territory. (After the Yazoo Land Fraud) Many Creeks also left after the federal government promised them land now known as Arkansas and Oklahoma. Another treaty in 1821 resulted in the Creeks losing even more land. A Land Lottery was instituted to divide up newly acquired land. By 1827, most Creeks had migrated to present-day Oklahoma

Creek Indians & Treaties (cont’d) The Treaty of Indian Springs (1825) resulted in all Creek lands being given up to Georgia. Chief William McIntosh signed the Treaty of Indian Springs and his own people killed him for this. The Indian Removal Act (1830) called for government to negotiate treaties that would require remaining Native Americans to relocate in the west. **Indian Removal Act supported by President Andrew Jackson

Cherokee Removal & Dahlonega Gold Rush The Cherokee adapted better than most other tribes to white/European culture; Many owned property, farms, and some owned slaves In 1825, the Cherokee Nation established their capital at New Echota (today’s Calhoun) John Ross, the primary chief, modeled the Cherokee government after the US Federal government and penned a Cherokee Constitution under their syllabary (developed by Sequoyah) 1828 Andrew Jackson was elected President of U.S. having campaigned on the removal of Native Americans to western Indian Territory

Cherokee Removal & Dahlonega Gold Rush (cont’d) The Dahlonega Gold Rush (around 1829) – Prospectors flooded Georgia in search of gold. As the white population increased, the Cherokee, like the Creek were impacted by the Indian Removal Act (1830). 1831 – John Ross appealed to the US Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Marshall declared the Cherokee were a “domestic dependent nation” so the court decided that they could not rule on the removal issue. 1832 – Worcester v. Georgia US Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee were a sovereign nation and should thus be granted self-rule. Georgia decided to ignore the ruling as did President Jackson. The Cherokee were pressured to migrate west.

Cherokee Removal & Dahlonega Gold Rush (cont’d) In 1835, a group of Cherokee signed a removal treaty which was not endorsed by John Ross or any other Cherokee leaders. They gave up their land in GA for land in Oklahoma and received cash to relocate. Ross protested the treaty to the US government. Then President Martin Van Buren sent troops to round up the Cherokee people and force them out of Georgia The Cherokee were forced to march from Georgia to Oklahoma in the winter of 1838-1839. Historians estimate that 1/5 or about 4000 people died as a result of extreme elements and starvation. This migration became known as the Trail of Tears

Trail of tears

Cherokee Removal & Dahlonega Gold Rush (cont’d) Sequoyah – developed a written Cherokee language using symbols for syllables (syllabary). This resulted in “The Cherokee Pheonix” newspaper and helped to unify the Cherokee Nation. John Ross – using syllabary penned a Cherokee Constitution. Served as chief until 1866. Advocate for Cherokee rights. **John Ross & his wife marched on the Trail of Tears, she died of pneumonia on the journey; he remained Chief until his death in 1866