1. Georgia’s Westward Expansion post-American Revolution
Unit 4b
Georgia’s Westward Expansion post-American Revolution
SS8H5 The student will explain significant factors that affected the development of Georgia as part of the growth of the United States between 1789 and 1840.
SS8H5.a  Explain the establishment of the University of Georgia, Louisville, and the spread of Baptist and Methodist churches.
SS8H5.b  Evaluate the impact of land policies pursued by Georgia; include the headright system, land lotteries, and the Yazoo land fraud.
SS8H5.c  Explain how technological developments, including the cotton gin and railroads, had an impact on Georgia's growth.
SS8H5.d  Analyze the events that led to the removal of Creeks and Cherokees; include the roles of Alexander McGillivray, William McIntosh, Sequoyah, John Ross, Dahlonega Gold Rush, Worcester v. Georgia, Andrew Jackson, John Marshall, and the Trail of Tears.

2. Why did Georgians support Ratifying the US Constitution?
What was the motivating factor for Georgia to become the 4th state to RATIFY (approve) the US Constitution?
As more people moved into the state and began to move westward, they encountered Native American tribes who were not going to easily give away their lands
Georgians supported a strong Federal/Central/National Government in order to receive support for the removal of Native peoples.

3. Spread of Baptist & Methodist Churches
Most Georgians (pre-Revolution) belonged to the Protestant Church of England (Anglican Church) which was founded by King Henry VII of England in the 1500s.
When America gained independence from England, most Anglican priests returned to England.
Southerners, seeking a way to practice their Protestant (Christian) faith, turned to the Baptist and Methodists churches.
Circuit riders and camp meetings spread the religious beliefs of these denominations, and many Baptist and Methodist churches were built

4. Establishment of the University of Georgia (UGA)
Most Georgians had never been to school
If they attended, it would only be long enough to get the “3 R’s”
,000 acres
Donated by Abraham Baldwin who became the University’s first President
1785 University of Georgia chartered
1st Univ. open to ALL people, not just the rich
“Land grant university”
Land was donated (granted)
Originally called “Franklin College”
The first building was named the Franklin building
Responsible for all public schools in Georgia
White males only
Women not admitted until 1918

5. FOLLOW THE MOVING CAPITAL!
As more people moved into the state, they moved in a western and northern direction
Because the capital is where land deeds were granted, official documents were obtained, and voting took place, it needed to be central to the people.
The capitals of the state moved to follow the people.
S - Savannah
A - Augusta
L - Louisville
M - Milledgeville
A - Atlanta

6. Land Distribution Methods
Headright System ( )
White males who were 21 years old received 200 acres of land.
If you were the “HEAD” of the family, you had the “RIGHT” to land
For each additional family member and slave, you received 50 additional acres, up to 1000 acres total.
Veterans of the Revolutionary War received land for free.
However, this practice led to corruption and was stopped.
Land Lottery (1803)
Land was divided into plots.
Males (White & 21 yrs) could register for land at the courthouse.
Each plot was numbered and placed into a barrel; names of registered voters were placed into another barrel. Names & plots would be drawn.

7. Land Distribution Methods
Left: This is a display in the museum at New Echota. It contains an actual barrel used in land lottery drawings.
Below: This is a map of the original Cherokee County with plots outlined.

8. Land Deed This is an actual deed for land in Georgia.
160 Acres of land in Cherokee County was given to Rueben Warren on June 10, 1832

9. Yazoo Land Fraud (1795)
Georgia was having a difficult time protecting settlers to the west and were seeking ways to solve this problem.
Georgia extended to the Mississippi River at this time.
Speculators from four land companies bribed members of the General Assembly to pass a law allowing them to purchase 35 million acres of land extending to the Yazoo River (near the Mississippi River) for $500,000
That’s less than a penny per acre!!
Land speculators are people who buy land at a cheap price, and sell it at a higher price.
These land companies ended up selling the same tract of land to multiple families, and refused to rectify the situation.
This made many people angry… 

10. Yazoo Land Fraud continued
The People of Georgia demanded that the Legislators involved in the deal be punished.
Many of the Legislators fled Georgia, and the newly elected legislators decided to repeal the law and burn the act on the steps of the capital in Louisville, GA.
Georgia wanted to refund the money to buyers who purchased the land, but did not have enough money.
Moreover, a lot of the owners refused to sell the land back, and the U.S. Supreme Court had to intervene (1814).
Georgia needed a “bailout” from the U.S. Government

11. Map Of Georgia Before Territory Was Given Away

12. The Loss of Georgia Land
In 1795, Spain signed a treaty, which ceded land between the Chattahoochee & Mississippi Rivers.
Who was entitled to the land? Georgia or the U.S.?
It belonged to the U.S. & was named Mississippi Territory (1798).
In return for giving Georgia money for a “bailout,” the state also had to give up its lands between the Chattahoochee and Mississippi Rivers, and they requested that the U.S. Government helped to remove Native Americans.

13. New “Technologies” Cotton Gin Railroads & Cotton
Invented by Eli Whitney
Helps remove seeds from cotton fibers more quickly
Increased the amount of cotton produced by one slave by Six Times
Increased population of both white citizens and slaves
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Railroads & Cotton

14. Native Americans in the Southeast 1700s-1800s
5 Civilized Tribes of the Southeast
Creek
Most populous tribe in the state and held the most amount of land.
Cherokee
Second most populous tribe in the state and were pushed out when gold was discovered on their land
Choctaw
In present-day Mississippi
Chickasaw
In present-day Tennessee
Seminole
In present-day Florida

15. Creek Leadership
Alexander McGillivray
William McIntosh

16. The Treaty of New York
Alexander McGillivray called to New York by President Washington.
Required the Creeks to give their land east of the Ocmulgee River to the United States
The U.S. government would prevent settlers from coming onto their lands and would give them tools and animals to set up farms.
White settlers were upset because the government took the “Indian’s side” and ignored the treaty.
The state legislature vowed to remove the Creek from GA

17. The Treaty of Indian Springs - 1825
Signed by Chief William McIntosh at his Hotel, Indian Springs
Gave away all Creek land claims in Georgia to the US Government
After the Treaty of New York, the Creek Indians made a pact that anyone who signed a treaty giving away Creek lands would pay for that action with their LIFE!
Feeling as if he had no choice, McIntosh signed the treaty and hoped he could reason with his fellow Creek.
Over 400 Creek soldiers marched to his hotel and KILLED HIM!

18. Important Cherokee people
Chief John Ross
Sequoyah

19. The Cherokee Indians
During this time period, the Cherokee began to believe that their best hope for maintaining their land would be to transform their society to resemble that of the United States (white culture).
New Echota (in North Georgia) was established as the Capital of the Cherokee Nation.
In the 1820s, the Cherokee developed a written language (Sequoyah), a written constitution, and a newspaper.
Chief John Ross was elected as the President of the Cherokee
They invited missionaries to set up schools and adopted an agricultural system that included the use of slavery.
However, none of these changes stopped the whites in Georgia from demanding their removal.
Once gold was discovered in 1828, the push for Cherokee removal west of the Mississippi River became greater.

20. The Cherokee Indians
In 1832, the Cherokee won the Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia.
Worcester was a white missionary who lived among the Cherokee, and was arrested for refusing to sign an oath of allegiance to Georgia.
This decision should have protected the tribe from removal as it maintained that the Cherokee were an “independent nation and were not subject to Georgia law”.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall made this decision.
President Jackson refused to enforce the decision.
However, in 1835, a small group of Cherokees signed the Treaty of New Echota without permission from the Cherokee government.
This gave up all claims to Cherokee lands in Georgia
Upon receiving it, Andrew Jackson signed the treaty and Congress approved it.
In 1838, most of the Cherokee were forcefully removed from the state and suffered on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma.
More than 4000 Cherokee died from exposure, starvation and broken hearts.

21. Key persons leading to Cherokee Removal (a.k.a. The Trail of Tears)