1. 1780’s Spread of Religion
Baptist and Methodist churches began to grow with the absence of the Church of England
Circuit Riders, ministers who travel from church to church, bring religion into the western frontier

2. 1785: University of Georgia
In 1784, Georgia’s legislature, the General Assembly, set aside 40,000 acres of land for the University of Georgia.

3. 1786: Georgia Capitals move West
As Georgia’s population began to shift more and more to the west, Georgia’s capital cities moved westward as well
Throughout its history, Georgia has had five capital cities (remember the acronym S.A.L.M.A.)
Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, Atlanta

4. Savannah ( ) - Augusta ( ) - Louisville ( ) - Milledgeville ( ) - Atlanta (1868-Present)

5. 1700’s to 1800’s Headright System
All heads of household were entitled to 200 acres, plus 50 acres per family member (including slaves), up to a limit of 1000 acres!!!
Land came from East of the Oconee River

7. Yazoo Land Fraud
Four speculation companies bribed the General Assembly to sell them huge tracts of land for extremely low prices, so that they could sell it to others for profit

8. 1803 Land Lottery
Land won in the lottery varied in size from 500 to 50 acres(much smaller than the 1000 acres in the Headright System)
• All free white men living in Georgia for one year were givenone chance; widows or veterans were given two chances

10. Technology
In 1793, while visiting a plantation near Savannah, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin to quickly and easily clean cotton of its seeds.
Almost overnight, cotton became the dominant crop in the south, and Georgia was the nation’s largest producer.

11. In 1834, workers began building the Georgia Railroad, which was to extend from Athens to Augusta.
The growth of cotton meant there was a need for a better means of transporting cotton
from Georgia’s interior to the port city of Savannah.
• Transportation by wagon, flatboat, and steamboat was
slow and expensive.

12. Native Americans in Georgia
Cherokee
Creek territory

13. 1790- Treaty of New York
President George Washington signs a treaty with Chief Alexander McGillivray stating the Creek Indians would give up their land east of the Oconee River for a promise that the whites would not move west.

14. War of 1812
Red Stick Creek Indians join British forces in a battle in Georgia.

15. Creek War
Battle of Horseshoe Bend, led by Andrew Jackson. The U.S. Army defeats the Creek in Alabama and the Creek are forced to give up most of their land in Georgia.

17. 1825: Treaty of Indian Springs
Creek Chief, William McIntosh, gives up the rest of the Creek land in Georgia for $200,000. The Chief is murdered by his tribe.

18. 1829: Dahlonega
Gold is discovered in Dahlonega. The General Assembly declares Cherokee laws null and void and claims the Cherokee land.

19. 1830: Indian Removal Act
President Andrew Jackson calls for the forced removal of all Native Americans to the Western territory of Oklahoma.

20. 1832
Remaining Cherokee land is divided up and given out in the state’s land lottery

21. 1835: Treaty of New Echota
Cherokee Chief, John Ross, is forced to sign over the Cherokee land to the U.S. Government.

22. November 1838 Trail of Tears
Cherokees begin the mile walk to the new Indian Territory of Oklahoma.
- 6 months to make the trip
- 4,000 die of cold, starvation, and illness
- 15,000 – 17,000 Indians were moved off of their land