1. Georgia and the
Westward
Expansion
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2. University Of
Georgia
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3. Education
After the American Revolution, Georgia’s leaders became increasingly interested in education.
Georgia’s General Assembly set aside 40,000 acres of land for the University of Georgia in 1784.
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4. UGA
In 1785, Abraham Baldwin wrote the school’s charter saying that all people, not just the wealthy, have a right to education.
UGA was the first state-supported university in the United States.
It set the example for America’s current system of public colleges and universities.
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6. UGA
The school’s trustees named Abraham Baldwin as the first president.
The university’s construction did not begin until 1801 when future-governor John Milledge donated land on the Oconee River to the school.
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8. UGA
Originally called Franklin College in honor of Benjamin Franklin, it ultimately became the University of Georgia and opened its doors in 1801.
UGA is located in Athens.
The University of Georgia has expanded in size and academic reputation over the past 130 years.
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9. UGA
In the early 1900s, new schools of learning opened within the university, such as pharmacy, education, business, and journalism.
Women were allowed to attend the university in 1918.
In 1961, UGA was integrated with Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes became the first African American students to enroll.
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10. Georgia’s
Shifting
Capital
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11. State Capital
Georgia’s first capital was Savannah; however, as more and more Georgians moved westward, the location became increasingly inconvenient.
In 1785, the state capital moved to Augusta.
Many Georgians were still unhappy with the location as the population was spreading toward the center of the state.
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12. State Capital
Georgia’s citizens called for a new state capital with a central location that would be more accessible for all Georgians.
The state legislature commissioned a group to find a location further west.
In 1786, the General Assembly named a site near an Indian trading post on the Ogeechee River as the new state capital.
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13. Louisville
The capital was named Louisville to honor France’s King Louis XVI for his support during the American Revolution.
The Ogeechee River made water transportation convenient to and from Louisville.
Also, the Indian trading post helped Georgia’s legislature to better address Indian activities on the frontier.
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15. Louisville
Even though the site was selected, it took over ten years for the government to move there in 1796.
Once developed, Louisville was successful both socially and financially.
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16. Market House in Louisville – Built in the 1790s as a general market for the newly-founded city.
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17. Milledgeville
Eventually, northwestern expansion of Georgia’s population and an outbreak of malaria in Louisville caused state officials to move the capital again in 1807 to Milledgeville.
Milledgeville was named for the governor, John Milledge, and served as the state capital for 61 years.
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18. Atlanta
Once the Cherokee Indians had been removed from the state, legislators began pushing for another westward move of the capital.
The town of Terminus (now called Atlanta) was chosen because of its railroad accessibility.
In 1868, Georgia’s state capital moved to its current location in Atlanta.
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20. State Capitals
Over time, Georgia’s state capital moved to follow the center of the state’s population in order to be accessible to all citizens.
There have been five cities that have served as Georgia’s state capital: Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, and Atlanta (S.A.L.M.A.).
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21. Impact of
Land
Policies
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22. Land
After the Revolutionary War, Georgia’s government distributed land under the headright system until 1803.
The state could have made a lot of money by selling the land; however, Georgia chose to give the land away for free in order to encourage population growth.
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23. Headright
Under the headright system, white males who were considered to be the heads of families were granted 200 acres plus 50 acres for each family member, including slaves.
Families were limited to 1,000 acres, although veterans of the Revolutionary War were granted more than the limit.
The state expected these people to settle the land and make it productive.
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24. Headright
Georgia distributed land under the headright system in order to encourage immigration to the state.
Settlers receiving land grants were able to settle on any unclaimed land that they wanted, as the headright system was a “first come, first served” land policy.
Land was an important status symbol during this time period—the more you had, the wealthier you were.
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