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Establishment of the Georgia Colony - GA
The Georgia Colony was established in 1732. It was the last of Britain’s thirteen North American colonies. The Georgia Colony was initially governed from England by a board of trustees. It was intended to give a new chance at life to debtors who would have otherwise spent their lives in prison. This event was significant in Georgia history because it was when Georgia was established and given its name. -
Molasses Act Passed by England - US
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The Battle of Bloody Marsh - GA
The Spanish attempted to invade Georgia through St. Simon’s Island. General Ogelthorpe became aware of this plan. He prepared for the battle with less than 1,000 men. The terrain and vegetation of the swamp gave Oglethorpe’s men coverage they needed to push back Spanish soldiers. The Spanish left the island before the month ended. This event was significant in Georgia history because it was a major battle fought on Georgia land, and it allowed British rule over the colony to continue. -
Faneuil Hall Hosts Its 1st Town Meeting - US
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The Royal Proclamation of 1763 - US
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Treaty of Augusta - GA
The Treaty of Augusta, signed at the request of both Native American tribes, ceded more than two million acres of land in Georgia to alleviate a seemingly hopeless debt owed to white traders. This incident is significant for the future of Native populations as well as the reason for increased trade taxes in the colonies, which would in part cause the Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party - US
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Georgia's Second Provincial Congress - GA
After gathering enough support against British government, Georgia held their second provincial congress. As a result, delegates were elected for the seats in Philadelphia’s second continental congress. There, delegates adopted association’s ban on trade with Britain, and declared Georgia no longer under acts of parliament. This event is significant for Georgia entering the rebellion that led to the revolutionary war. -
Georgia Enters Revolutionary War - GA
Georgia was a significant battlefield in the American Revolutionary War. Its population was initially split between those who supported the Patriot cause and those who favored remaining loyal to Britain. When violence erupted in 1775, radicals seized power in the state, driving out the Loyalist governor and his supporters. Georgia also became a base for several major raids into British territory in Florida. This event is helped transition Georgia from a colony to a state. -
Declaration of Independence - US
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The Treaty of Alliance - US
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Siege of Savannah - GA
In the Fall of 1779, troops from the Continental army along with assistance from the French army attempted to retake control of the city of Savannah from the British and loyalists. Foggy weather conditions and swampy terrain weakened the impact of the American-French attack. This led to an overwhelming victory on the side of the British, and they maintained control of Savannah. This event caused the hardening of British policy against rebellious Americans in the South. -
Congress Ratifies Articles of Peace - US
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UGA Founded - GA
Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1785 and one of the first universities in America, UGA was the forerunner of the American system of public universities. The founding of UGA laid the groundwork for the American system of higher education. -
The Constitutional Convention - US
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Georgia becomes 4th state - GA
Following the ratification of the US Constitution, Georgia became the 4th state. It was the first state in the South to do this. Abraham Baldwin and William Few Jr., both from Georgia, signed the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention. This event is significant because its marks when Georgia officially became a part of what is now the USA. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 - US
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Cotton Gin Invented - GA
On Catharine Green's estate in Georgia, Eli Whitney created the cotton gin. His gin made it simpler, quicker, and more effective to remove the seeds from cotton. As cotton farming grew throughout the state as a result of its creation, the need for slaves increased, which had an impact on Georgia's economy and place in the Civil War. This event had a great impact on the future of slavery and ultimately the civil war. -
Yazoo Land Act - GA
Midway through the 1790s, Georgia Governor George Mathews and the Georgia General Assembly engaged in a large real estate swindle known as the Yazoo land controversy. Politicians in Georgia offered extremely low rates to political insiders who bought vast areas of land in the Yazoo lands, which are now parts of the modern states of Alabama and Mississippi. This eventually led to revision of land contracts and sales across the US. -
Treaty of Greenville is signed - US
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Georgia Gold Rush - GA
Gold was discovered in the hills of North Georgia, resulting in the gold rush around the town of Auraria and the Great Intrusion upon the Cherokee Nation. By the time gold was discovered in the West in 1849, the gold rush in North Georgia, which attracted around 10,000 individuals, had barely begun. This event is significant because Native Americans were eventually forced to migrate as a result of hostilities between the Cherokee and other states, including Georgia. -
Indian Removal Act - US
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The Panic of 1837 - US
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Trail of Tears - GA
The Cherokees who lived in the North Georgia highlands were forced to move to what is now Oklahoma, which marked the beginning of the Trail of Tears. The severe weather caused one-fifth of the populace to perish along the route. This event is important because it represented the many years of unfair treatment of native Americans in Georgia. -
Battle of Fort Sumter - US
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Georgia enters civil war - GA
Georgia issued an official Ordinance of Secession, becoming the fifth state to withdraw from the Union. This event is significant because it precipitated the Civil War between the North and the South, forever altering the social, economic, and political landscape of the United States. -
The Emancipation Proclamation signed - US
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Siege of Fort Pulaski - GA
Fort Pulaski, captured by Union forces during the Civil War, became an important victory for the North and a devastating defeat for the South. This siege, which was located at the mouth of the Savannah River, was an important event because it meant that the Confederate States would be cut off from its main supply at its Savannah Port. -
Sherman's March to the Sea - GA
Sherman's March to Sea, the most brutal campaign of the Civil War, began in Atlanta, Georgia, and ended in Savannah, Georgia. Sherman used psychological warfare on the Confederate population to ensure citizens realized the Confederacy could not provide the same level of protection as the Union. This event had a significant impact on the war's morale and the Confederacy's defeat. -
Freedmen's Bureau Established - US
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Georgia Readmitted to the Union - GA
Following its decision to appoint some black lawmakers to the state legislature, Georgia became the final former Confederate state to be re-admitted to the Union. One of the significant results of this event is the Democrats subsequently secured decisive majorities in both of the General Assembly's houses. -
15th Amendment is Ratified - US
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Populist Party is Organized - GA
Under Thomas Watson's leadership, the Populist Party was formed. It promoted racial inclusion by inviting Black farmers to participate in its corporate farm exchange. The Populist Party also advocated for banking and railroad reform. This event had an impact on segregation, as the Bourbon Triumvirate, Redemption Era participants, increased their efforts to limit Black political power. -
Grover Cleveland Elected President - US
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Atlanta Compromise Speech - GA
Booker T. Washington delivered a speech on the conditional acceptance of racial subordination at the height of social reform, with racial tension still raging. This event heightened tensions among black leaders at the time by solidifying the "separate but equal" mentality established by Plessy vs. Ferguson. This event is significant in the upcoming conflict between whites and blacks in the South, as riots, rebellion, and violence erupt. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson - US
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Beginning of Jim Crow Laws - GA
Georgia makes literacy and comprehension tests a requirement for African Americans to vote. Georgia voters approved this disenfranchisement, effectively ending African Americans' ability to exercise their right to vote. This event is significant in terms of the ongoing push for white supremacy as a means of keeping African Americans oppressed even in their freedom. -
NAACP Formed - US
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Race Riot of Millen - GA
The first race riot of the Red Summer, killing two white officers and four black men. As with many other riots, the blame was shifted to blacks and ended in violence. This event is significant in terms of the series of riots that would occur across the country, enlisting the help of returned African American army veterans. -
Nineteenth Amendment Passed - US
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Air Commerce Act Passed by Congress - US
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Hartsfield Airport Opened - GA
William Hartsfield founded Hartsfield (later Hartsfield-Jackson) Airport. The airport became a "major hub" for both Eastern and Delta Air Lines. The event of the airport's construction has greatly boosted Georgia's economy; it is now one of the busiest in the world. -
Center for Disease Control Founded - GA
The Communicable Disease Center was created as a response to the nation-wide outbreak of malaria. The CDC has played a critical role in the battle against communicable illnesses ever since it was founded. Georgia's modern scientific breakthroughs, which have an effect on the entire nation, are significantly impacted by this event. -
The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 - US
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SCLC Founded - GA
Atlanta served as the birthplace of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As the country's first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was chosen. The SCLC played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement. -
The Eisenhower Doctrine - US
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John F. Kennedy is sworn in as 35th President - US
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Atlanta Nine - GA
Soon after the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, Georgia was able to take part in desegregating public schools with the aid of HOPE (Helping Others Persevere). Without any significant problems, nine black pupils attended four high schools with a predominance of white students. The beginning of the end of racial segregation in the United States can be seen in this event. -
Georgia Holds Summer Olympics - GA
From July 19 to August 4, 1996, Atlanta served as the host city for the Centennial Summer Olympic Games. The largest event in the city's history, it helped make Atlanta the Southeast's financial and sporting hub. -
Mars Global Surveyor Launched - US