1. TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THE IMPACT ON GEORGIA

2. The U.S. Grows  1803 1789 In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte sold the Colony of Louisiana (828,000 sq. mi.) to President Thomas Jefferson for $15 million dollars. This land acquisition more than doubled the size of the United States.

3. United States Territory—1840

4. Cotton Gin  Eli Whitney Prior to the invention of the Cotton Gin, tobacco was one of Georgia’s most important crops, but it was destroying the soil. Cotton was also a crop, but “deseeding” and cleaning the cotton was very time-consuming. Most farmers could not clean more than 1 pound of cotton per day. The Cotton Gin could assist in removing seeds from 50 pounds of cotton in a day. This INCREASED the need for slaves, because farmers could now plant more cotton, making a larger profit. This also led to a westward expansion in the state.

5. Canals & Steamboats  Canals were constructed throughout the eastern United States in order to connect rivers and lakes to transport goods.  The Erie Canal connected Lake Erie to the Hudson River in New York.  Up until the 1820s, GA relied on rivers to transport goods long distances.  Canals were planned as an attempt to connect rivers in GA, but ultimately failed.

6. Railroads  The state of Georgia decided that railroads would better assist with transportation.  Railroads would be a big part of Georgia’s future.  Georgia's rail history began in the 1830s as America was just beginning to build a network of tracks.  By 1850 Georgia had the most rail miles of any southern state.  During the Civil War, Georgia’s many rail systems made the transportation of goods easy, making Atlanta the 2 nd most important city in the Confederacy.  More than a century and a half later, it continues to be a railroad leader. Did you know? Atlanta was originally named Terminus because several rail lines ended or terminated there? The city was renamed Atlanta after the Western & Atlantic railroad.

7. Impact on Georgia’s Economy  How did all of these inventions impact the economy of Georgia?  How did these things impact the size of the states’ population?  How did these inventions impact slavery?