Georgia in the American Revolution facts for kids
Georgia was an important place during the American Revolution. At first, people in Georgia weren't sure if they should join the fight for independence. But when fighting started in 1775, a group called the Patriots (also known as Whigs) took charge. They pushed many Loyalists (people loyal to Britain) out of Georgia. Georgia was also a starting point for attacks into British-controlled Florida.
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Georgia and the Start of the Revolution
Even though Georgians didn't like some British trade rules, many were slow to join the revolution in the early 1770s. This movement led to the American Revolutionary War (1775–83). Georgia had done well under British rule. Many Georgians also felt they needed British soldiers to protect them from possible Native American attacks.
Georgia did not send representatives to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1774. This Congress asked all colonies to form a group called the Association. This group would stop trade with Great Britain.
Delegates from Georgia met in Savannah on January 18, 1775. They talked about joining the Association and choosing people for the Second Continental Congress. However, those who were chosen didn't go to Philadelphia because the delegates couldn't agree. Only St. John Parish sent Lyman Hall to the Second Continental Congress by himself.
News of the battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts made many Georgians decide to join the revolution. On May 11, 1775, a group called the Sons of Liberty broke into the gunpowder storage in Savannah. They shared the gunpowder with revolutionaries in South Carolina.
Even though Georgians still honored the king, they took control of their government. The Second Provincial Congress met in Savannah on July 4, 1775. This Congress chose delegates for the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. They also agreed to stop trade with Britain, as the Association had asked.
An important step was creating local committees to make sure the trade ban was followed. This gave political power to everyday people like artisans and farmers. The royal governor, James Wright, thought these people were "the wrong sort" to be in government. The Congress then created a Council of Safety to handle daily government tasks.
Fighting in the Backcountry
Strong actions by the local committee in Augusta led to the first fighting in the backcountry. On August 2, 1775, committee members confronted Thomas Brown near Augusta. Brown had moved to Georgia in 1774 and started a settlement called Brownsborough. He angered the Patriots by speaking out against their trade ban. He also asked friends of the king to join a group against the Association. When he refused to support the Association, a crowd of Patriots treated him harshly.
After he recovered, Brown went to the Carolina backcountry. There, he and other leaders gathered many Loyalists. They threatened to march on Augusta. After some small fights, Brown and his friends decided to wait for the British army to arrive. Brown then went to East Florida. He convinced Florida's governor, Patrick Tonyn, to let him form a group of rangers. These rangers would lead Native Americans to fight on the frontier with the British.
Meanwhile, rumors spread that the British were trying to get enslaved people and Native Americans to fight against the American Patriots. Even though these rumors were false, many believed them. John Stuart, who worked with Native Americans, fled from Charleston, South Carolina, to Florida because he feared for his life.
Battle of the Rice Boats
British warships arrived in the Savannah River in January 1776. This caused the first big problem in Savannah. The Council of Safety believed Savannah would be attacked by the British. They put Governor Wright under house arrest and asked Colonel Lachlan McIntosh to lead the city's defense.
Then came the Battle of the Rice Boats on March 2–3, 1776. British marines took merchant ships filled with rice from Savannah harbor. Some of these ships were burned by the local militia. The British fleet actually wanted food for their army, which was surrounded in Boston. The fleet sailed away with some rice, along with Governor Wright and his main advisors.
With the governor gone, the next provincial congress met in Augusta. They created a simple government plan called "Rules and Regulations." This plan started on May 1, 1776. The congress chose Archibald Bulloch as president and military commander. George Walton joined Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett as Georgia's delegates in Philadelphia. They arrived in time to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Attempts to Invade Florida
In August 1776, Major General Charles Lee, a military leader in the South, agreed to Georgia's plan to invade British East Florida. Lee didn't think they could conquer Florida, but he hoped a military show would impress the Native Americans. Unfortunately, he was called back North and took his troops with him. The expedition only reached Sunbury, south of Savannah. South Carolina then ordered its militia to return home.
Georgians, led by Lachlan McIntosh (who was now a brigadier general), fought with the Florida Rangers and their Native American allies near the Satilla River. They then left the southern border areas.
Congress suggested that the newly independent states create a permanent government. So, Georgians elected delegates for a state constitutional convention. It met in October 1776 in Savannah. Radical leaders from local committees were in charge. They wrote one of the most democratic state constitutions. All men over 21 who owned property or worked as artisans could vote. A single assembly made laws and chose the governor, judges, and other officials.
Georgia's constitution, approved on February 5, 1777, created the state's first counties: Burke, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Richmond, and Wilkes. Most were named after British Parliament members who supported the colonies. Liberty County was named to honor St. John Parish's strong support for American rights.
Button Gwinnett was the speaker of the convention. He and other radical Whigs suspected many conservative Whigs were secretly Loyalists. Gwinnett's arrest of George McIntosh, General Lachlan McIntosh's brother, made the tension between radical and conservative Georgians worse.
During this time, Gwinnett decided to invade Florida. Gwinnett saw himself as the commander of the Georgia militia. He refused to work with General McIntosh, who led the Continental soldiers. After the invasion failed, they argued about who was to blame. They fought a duel, both were hurt, and Gwinnett died. The radical Whigs were so angry at McIntosh that Congress moved him out of Georgia. He then served under General George Washington at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
The first two failures didn't stop Georgians from trying a third time to invade Florida in 1778. This time, Governor John Houstoun led the Georgia militia. Major General Robert Howe led the Continentals, and General Andrew Williamson led the Carolina militia. This expedition also failed due to a lack of teamwork. Howe's soldiers did manage to push Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brown and his East Florida Rangers out of Fort Tonyn on the St. Marys River. The Georgia militia had a small fight with the Rangers and some British soldiers at Alligator Creek. After this limited success, the invaders returned to Georgia.
For the first three years of independence, the Patriots didn't achieve much beyond surviving. They learned how to govern themselves and became determined to keep their new independence. This was a big accomplishment. Native Americans might have caused more trouble in the backcountry due to actions by John Stuart and Thomas Brown. However, Continental Indian Commissioner George Galphin used his great influence to convince many Lower Creek people to stay neutral.
British Army Returns
By 1778, the war in the North was at a standstill. The British decided to try a "southern strategy." Southern governors like Sir James Wright had told Lord George Germain, the British Secretary for the Colonies, that many Loyalists in the backcountry were waiting for British troops. General Sir Henry Clinton in New York ordered Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell to invade Georgia with 3,000 soldiers. His goal was to bring Georgia back under British rule, setting an example for other former colonies.
Before Campbell's attack, General Augustine Prévost led a cattle raid into southern Georgia. As a distraction, Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Fuser attacked Fort Morris at Sunbury. When Fuser demanded the fort's surrender, its commander, Lieutenant Colonel John McIntosh, bravely replied, "Come and take it!" Fuser left, and Georgia honored McIntosh as a hero.
On December 28, 1778, Campbell's army landed easily near Savannah. They moved through the swamps on an unguarded path and defeated General Robert Howe's defenders of Savannah. Campbell waited until January 12 for Prevost's Royal Americans and Brown's Rangers to arrive from Florida. On January 24, he began a march with Brown's Rangers to Augusta in the backcountry. Campbell faced no opposition, except for a small fight at the Burke County courthouse involving Brown's Rangers. About ninety of George Galphin's enslaved people sought freedom from Campbell and were taken to Savannah.
Campbell took control of Augusta on January 31, 1779. The southern strategy seemed to be working when 1,400 men came to Augusta to join the royal militia. However, the British Native American allies were very late. On February 14, several hundred Loyalists were cut off at Kettle Creek in Wilkes County. They were attacked by South Carolinians led by Andrew Pickens and Georgians led by Elijah Clarke and John Dooly.
Alarmed by the approach of 1,200 North Carolinians under General John Ashe, Campbell left Augusta on the same day as the Battle of Kettle Creek. Ashe's troops, Samuel Elbert's Georgia Continentals, and Andrew Williamson's South Carolina militia followed the retreating British. On March 3, the British, now led by Lieutenant Colonel James Mark Prevost, turned and defeated the Americans at the Battle of Brier Creek.
Kettle Creek helped keep upper Georgia independent. But Brier Creek meant that the lower part of the state returned to British rule. Campbell named Prevost acting governor until Sir James Wright arrived. Campbell then sailed for England. He had succeeded in his goal of taking a "star" (a state) from the American flag. With military control back, the British restored elected civil government to Georgia through official orders in 1779. This government worked until Governor Sir James Wright left in 1782.
General Benjamin Lincoln marched his Continental soldiers to Augusta to help organize the civil government there. In response, General Augustine Prevost threatened to attack Charleston, which made Lincoln rush back with his army.
Patriot Government in Augusta
On July 10, 1779, a special committee met in Augusta. They chose some members for a "Supreme Executive Council." This council would run the government until a full assembly could meet in January. The Supreme Executive Council met for the first time on July 24. The next month, the council elected John Wereat as president. Wereat, a friend of the McIntoshes, had said Georgia's constitution was too radical.
Militia colonel George Wells, who helped write the constitution and was Gwinnett's second in the duel, refused to recognize Wereat's council. He called for regular elections. In October, Major General Benjamin Lincoln ordered George Walton to go to Augusta. Walton was to hold an election and create a constitutional government. This was needed for Georgia to get money from the Continental Congress.
Walton did this, joining Wells and the radical group. Elections were held, and an assembly met in late November. They chose Walton as governor. Wereat's Supreme Executive Council refused to recognize Walton's government. So, war-torn Georgia had two Patriot governments in Augusta and one British government in Savannah. This was at a time when it could barely support one government.
In a controversial move, Governor Walton sent a letter to Congress. He asked for General Lachlan McIntosh to be removed from Georgia again. McIntosh had returned to the state that summer to lead Georgia's Continental forces. But he was staying at the house of Andrew McLean, who was suspected of being a Loyalist. The Assembly passed the request. However, the Speaker, William Glascock, left Augusta before the letter was officially written down. Walton never denied signing Glascock's name and sent another letter under his own name. But Wereat and McIntosh's friends later investigated this "forged letter" incident.
The radical group controlled the new Assembly that met in January 1780. The delegates elected Richard Howley as governor and a delegate to Congress. The Assembly passed laws to help the backcountry grow quickly. This included a commission government for Augusta, a new town called Washington in Wilkes County, and land grants for people who would build ironworks, grist mills, and sawmills. Howley and Walton traveled as delegates to Philadelphia. George Wells, president of the executive council, acted as governor.
Wells soon got into an argument with Major James Jackson, a friend of John Wereat's. They fought a duel, and Wells died. So, the two leaders of the radical group in Georgia, Gwinnett and Wells, were killed in duels. However, they started Georgia on a democratic path that had lasting effects on the state's history.
Siege of Savannah
Governor Sir James Wright returned to Georgia on July 14, 1779. He announced that Georgia was back under the British crown and would not be taxed. Georgia became the first, and only, of the thirteen rebellious states to return to British rule.
Governor Wright had barely settled into his duties when, on September 3, 1779, a French fleet of twenty-five ships appeared off the Georgia coast. Count Charles Henri d'Estaing wanted to help George Washington by stopping to recapture Savannah on his way back to France. He landed his army of 4,000-5,000 men at Beaulieu on the Vernon River. He then began to besiege Savannah. Major General Benjamin Lincoln quickly came from South Carolina with his army to join the siege.
D'Estaing demanded Savannah's surrender on September 16. But General Augustine Prevost asked for 24 hours to give an answer. During that day, Lieutenant Colonel John Maitland brought 800 British soldiers from Beaufort, South Carolina, to strengthen the British defenses. Then Prevost refused to surrender.
On October 9, 1779, the French and American forces launched a major attack on the British lines. They suffered 752 casualties, while the British defenders lost only 18 killed and 39 wounded. Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish nobleman who fought for liberty, died leading his men. Sergeant William Jasper, a hero from the 1776 Battle of Sullivan's Island, also died. The damaged French army went back to their ships, and Benjamin Lincoln's troops returned to Charleston.
Fall of Charleston
Encouraged by the British defense of Savannah, General Sir Henry Clinton brought his army from New York. He made Tybee Island his base and began the siege of Charleston. Lincoln failed to escape when he could have. He surrendered the city and its defenders on May 12, 1780. Clinton then returned to New York, leaving General Lord Cornwallis in charge of taking control of the South. Cornwallis sent units to take command of backcountry posts, including Augusta, Camden, and Ninety Six. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brown took command in Augusta.
On July 10, 1780, the Royal Council in Savannah declared that peace had returned to Georgia. It seemed true, with a British army in Savannah and British posts in the backcountry. However, some Patriots refused to surrender and found safety in the mountains.
Battles of Augusta
Groups of raiders roamed the area between Savannah and Augusta. More importantly, Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke came from his safe place in North Carolina. He gathered 600 men who had recently promised loyalty to the king. He attacked Augusta on September 14, 1780. In a fierce four-day battle, Clarke surrounded Brown and his Rangers and Native American allies at the Mackay House outside town.
Lieutenant Colonel John Harris Cruger and his New York Loyalists from Ninety-Six came to help Brown's soldiers. Although people often blame Brown for hanging thirteen prisoners, Cruger likely gave the order. This punishment was required by Cornwallis for those who took up arms after swearing loyalty to the king.
Clarke quickly retreated to North Carolina, chased by Native Americans and Loyalists. Cornwallis sent a force of Loyalists under Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Ferguson to stop Clarke's group. Instead, Clarke's friends from the mountains came down under their own leaders. They caught Ferguson on Kings Mountain and won a decisive victory on October 7, 1780. Clarke's attack on Augusta led to the events at Kings Mountain.
Alarmed by the return of the Patriots under leaders like Clarke, Benjamin Few, and John Twiggs, Brown built Fort Cornwallis on the grounds of St. Paul's Church. In April, Clarke returned to the Georgia backcountry to bother Loyalists and threaten Augusta. Major General Nathanael Greene, the new Continental commander in the South, ordered General Andrew Pickens and his South Carolina militia, and Lieutenant Colonel Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee with his legion, to join Clarke in surrounding Augusta.
Lee captured valuable supplies at Galphin's plantation at Silver Bluff. With Pickens and Clarke, he began the siege of Augusta on May 22, 1781. During a two-week battle, Lee's engineers built a wooden tower. From this tower, a cannon could reach inside Fort Cornwallis. Brown had no choice but to surrender on June 5, 1781. The capture of Augusta gave American peace negotiators in Paris a reason to demand Georgia's independence. This happened even though Savannah remained in British hands for another year.
Patriot Government Restored
For the first time in over a year, the scattered members of the legislature met again in Augusta on August 17. They elected Nathan Brownson governor for the rest of the year. General Greene allowed the creation of 100 horsemen and 100 foot soldiers. This group was called the "Georgia State Legion," with Lieutenant Colonel James Jackson in command. On January 9, 1782, Greene sent Brigadier General Anthony Wayne to Georgia with a regiment of dragoons. General Wayne fought a war of wearing down the British defenders of Savannah. Andrew Pickens fought against the Cherokees, and John Twiggs's Georgians fought against the Creeks.
On January 2, 1782, the legislature elected John Martin governor. He announced that all Loyalists who promised to support independence by joining the Georgia Legion or the militia would be pardoned. On May 4, 1782, the legislature passed the Confiscation and Banishment Act. This law declared 277 people guilty of treason and took their property. The property of Loyalists who had left the state was also taken.
Governor Wright strongly criticized the British military for not supporting the king's cause in Georgia. On June 4, 1782, he held a big celebration in Savannah to honor the king's birthday and keep up the spirits of Georgia Loyalists. However, on June 14, 1782, Wright received orders from General Sir Guy Carleton to leave Savannah.
Thomas Brown had recruited a new regiment of rangers. On May 19, they fought with Lieutenant Colonel James Jackson's Legion in the marshes outside Savannah. At Wright's request, Brown had sent a last, desperate plea to the Upper Creeks for help. On June 23, the famous Creek leader Emistisiguo fought through the American lines to reach Savannah. Most of his group joined Brown, but Emistisiguo was killed.
British Leave Savannah
The British left Savannah on July 11, 1782. Lieutenant Colonel James Jackson had the honor of leading Wayne's winning troops into the city. Governor Martin called the Georgia Assembly to meet in Savannah on July 13, 1782.
As many as 2,000 white Georgians and twice that number of Black people moved to British East Florida. About 400 white people and 5,000 Black people moved to Jamaica, where Sir Archibald Campbell, who had returned Georgia to the British, was governor. The Loyalists in Florida had barely settled when they learned that the peace treaty of 1783 returned Florida to Spain. This caused another large move to the Bahamas, Jamaica, and other islands in the West Indies, as well as to Great Britain.
On January 7, 1783, the Georgia General Assembly elected Lyman Hall governor. John Twiggs, now a general in the Georgia militia, and Elijah Clarke continued to bother the Cherokee and Creek Native Americans. This was to make sure Georgians had control of the land, which was a big goal of the revolution for many. News of the preliminary peace treaty signing reached Savannah in late May 1783 and caused a general celebration. The newly independent state of Georgia, though poor in other ways, claimed a huge amount of land reaching to the Mississippi River. This land was disputed by the Creek Indians, who actually lived there.
