History of Georgia (U.S. state) facts for kids

The history of Georgia in the United States goes back thousands of years. Native American tribes lived here for a very long time. Spanish explorers arrived in the late 1500s, mostly to set up Catholic missions. By the early 1700s, most Spanish people had left, and their presence didn't change Georgia much.

English settlers came in the 1730s, led by James Oglethorpe. The colony was named "Georgia" after King George II of Britain. At first, slavery was not allowed, but this rule was changed in 1749. By the time of the American Revolution, about 18,000 enslaved people lived in Georgia.

Georgia agreed with the other 12 colonies about fair trade and taxes. On April 8, 1776, British officials were sent away. Georgia's Provincial Congress created a temporary constitution. The British controlled much of Georgia from 1780 until just before the American Revolution ended in 1783.

After the Revolution, Georgia grew. Native Americans were forced to move, and white farmers became richer. The new cotton gin machine made it easy to grow and process cotton. This led to a cotton boom, making Georgia's economy rely on enslaved labor. However, most white people did not own slaves and worked their own small farms. White men could vote, which made politics very competitive.

In February 1861, Georgia left the Union and joined other Southern states to form the Confederate States of America. Georgia sent almost 100,000 soldiers to the war. The first big battle in Georgia was the Battle of Chickamauga, which the Confederates won. In 1864, William Tecumseh Sherman's armies invaded Georgia. They burned Atlanta and marched to Savannah, destroying a lot of property. These events caused huge economic damage to the Confederacy.

After the war, Georgia faced tough economic times. The Reconstruction period brought military rule and new laws that started public education. Reconstruction ended in 1875 when white Democratic leaders returned to power. Black citizens lost most of their political rights and faced Jim Crow laws from the 1880s to 1964. Georgia was mostly rural, and its economy still depended on cotton. People suffered during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Many training bases and factories during World War II helped the economy grow. During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, Georgia was home to Martin Luther King Jr.. After 1950, the economy kept growing, and cotton became less important. Atlanta became a major city and travel hub, with fast-growing suburbs. Georgia started voting for Republican presidents in 1964. By the 2000s, the Republican Party usually won most elections in Georgia.

Ancient Georgia: Before Europeans Arrived

Before Europeans came, Native American groups lived in Georgia for thousands of years. Archaeologists divide their history into four main periods: Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian.

The Mississippian culture was the last group of mound-building Native Americans. They lived from about 800 to 1500 AD. These people built large, flat-topped earth mounds, like pyramids. They lived in organized societies with leaders called chiefs. They grew a lot of maize (corn), which helped their populations grow. They also made beautiful items from copper, shell, and mica. The biggest Mississippian sites in Georgia today are Kolomoki Mounds, Etowah Indian Mounds, and Ocmulgee National Monument.

European Explorers Arrive

When Europeans first arrived, the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) peoples lived in what is now Georgia. The Cherokee lived in the northern mountains, and the Muscogee lived along the rivers in the central and southern parts. The Yamasee people lived along the coast.

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León might have sailed along Georgia's coast. In 1526, Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón tried to start a colony near St. Catherines Island. This was where the first Catholic Mass was held in what is now the United States.

From 1539 to 1542, Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer, led the first European trip deep into the southern United States. He was looking for gold and a way to China. De Soto's journey went through much of Georgia, and he met many Native American groups.

The French also tried to settle nearby. In 1562, French Huguenots (Protestants) started a colony called Charlesfort on Parris Island, in present-day South Carolina. This colony failed quickly.

Over the next few decades, Spanish explorers from Spanish Florida visited Georgia's inland areas. The Mississippian people, who de Soto saw in 1540, had disappeared by 1560. They might have died from new diseases brought by the Europeans.

English fur traders from the Province of Carolina first met the Lower Creeks in 1690. The English built a fort at Ocmulgee to trade iron tools, guns, cloth, and rum for deerskins and enslaved Native Americans captured by warring tribes.

Georgia Becomes a British Colony

Spain and Great Britain began fighting over Georgia around 1670. The British colony of South Carolina was just north of Spanish missions in Guale and Mocama (which are now part of Georgia). These areas were often attacked by both English and Spanish colonists.

The English destroyed the Spanish missions in Georgia by 1704. The coast of Georgia was then settled by British-allied Yamasee Native Americans. But the Yamasee were greatly weakened in a war with South Carolina colonists in 1715-1717. The remaining Yamasee fled to Spanish Florida, leaving the Georgia coast empty. This made it possible for Britain to start a new colony.

English settlement began in the early 1730s. James Oglethorpe, a member of Parliament, suggested that poor English people could settle the area. He wanted to give them a new start instead of sending them to debtors' prisons. Oglethorpe and other English people who wanted to help others received a royal charter for the Georgia colony on June 9, 1732. The idea that Georgia was founded only for debtors is a common mistake.

Oglethorpe and the Trustees had a detailed plan for Georgia's settlement. They wanted an economy based on small family farms. Land ownership was limited to 50 acres for most settlers. This included a town lot, a garden, and a farm. On February 12, 1733, the first settlers arrived in the ship Anne at what would become Savannah.

In 1742, Spanish forces invaded the colony during the War of Jenkins' Ear. Oglethorpe gathered local forces and defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Bloody Marsh. A peace treaty in 1748 confirmed that Georgia belonged to the English.

From 1735 to 1750, the Georgia trustees did not allow African slavery. However, nearby South Carolina showed that enslaved labor made plantations very profitable. Also, fewer white people wanted to come as indentured servants. Many white settlers also died from diseases in the hot, wet climate.

In 1749, Georgia changed its rule and allowed slavery. From 1750 to 1775, planters quickly brought in enslaved people. The enslaved population grew from less than 500 to about 18,000, becoming the majority in the colony. Some historians believe Africans had special knowledge for building rice and indigo farms. Georgia planters brought slaves mainly from rice-growing areas of Sierra Leone, Gambia, and Angola.

In 1752, Georgia became a royal colony, directly controlled by the British king. Wealthier planters from South Carolina moved south and soon controlled the colony. They brought their customs and ways of life. Georgia slowly but steadily grew after the 1748 treaty ended fears of Spanish attacks.

By the 1750s, British settlers lived as far south as Cumberland Island. This was against the rules of both the British and Spanish governments. British settlers also traded illegally with Spanish Florida.

The large plantations on Georgia's coast, worked by many African-born slaves, made society more like the West Indies than Virginia. Enslaved Africans from different groups developed the unique Gullah or Geechee culture. This culture kept important parts of West African language, religion, and traditions. African-American culture also strongly influenced Southern food and music.

Georgia was mostly safe from war during much of the Seven Years War. In 1762, Georgia feared a Spanish invasion, but it did not happen.

Georgia's Capitals

Georgia has had five different capital cities.

• The first was Savannah, during British colonial rule.
• Then came Augusta.
• Next was Louisville.
• After that, Milledgeville.
• Finally, Atlanta, which has been the capital since 1868.

The state legislature has also met in other places, especially Macon during the American Civil War.

The American Revolution in Georgia

Royal governor James Wright was popular in Georgia. But like other colonies, Georgians strongly believed in their rights as Englishmen. They feared that London was taking these rights away. Georgians quickly moved towards a government where the people ruled, not a king. They demanded "No taxation without representation" and rejected British taxes.

In August 1774, people in Savannah declared that "Protection and allegiance are reciprocal." This meant that if the government didn't protect their rights, they didn't owe loyalty. Georgia had fewer complaints than other colonies but supported the fight for freedom.

After hearing about the Battles of Lexington and Concord, on May 11, 1775, patriots in Savannah stormed the royal weapons storage and took ammunition. A celebration for the King's birthday on June 4 turned into a protest against him. Within a month, patriots took control and set up their own government. They formed a Council of Safety and a Provincial Congress to prepare for war. Governor Wright wrote that the patriots had taken all power.

In February 1776, Wright fled to a British warship, and patriots controlled Georgia. The new Congress adopted "Rules and Regulations" on April 15, 1776, which was like their first constitution. Georgia declared independence in 1776, becoming a state. Its first leader was Archibald Bulloch. The Constitution of 1777 gave power to the elected House of Assembly, which chose the governor. Almost all white men could vote.

Georgia's coastal location made it an easy target for the British Navy. Savannah was captured by British and Loyalist forces in 1778. Many enslaved Africans escaped to British lines, where they were promised freedom. About one-third of Georgia's 15,000 enslaved people escaped during the Revolution.

The patriots moved their government to Augusta. In 1779, American and French troops tried to retake Savannah but failed. During the last years of the war, Georgia had a Loyalist government along the coast.

After the war, Georgia was in a difficult state. Much property was destroyed, farms were ruined, and there was little money. But people were happy that independence had been won.

Georgia officially approved the U.S. Constitution on January 2, 1788.

Georgia originally had eight counties: Burke, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Richmond, and Wilkes. Before 1777, Georgia was divided into areas called parishes.

Georgia Before the Civil War

In 1787, the Treaty of Beaufort set Georgia's eastern border at the Savannah River. Georgia also claimed land to the west, but after some land scandals, it gave up these claims in 1802.

In 1829, gold was found in the north Georgia mountains, starting the Georgia Gold Rush. A federal mint was built in Dahlonega, Georgia. At this time, the Cherokee Indians owned their land and had their own government. White settlers wanted their land, which led to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Supreme Court ruled in 1832 that states could not take Indian lands, but President Andrew Jackson and Georgia ignored this. In 1838, federal troops forced the Cherokee to move west of the Mississippi. This forced journey, known as the Trail of Tears, caused over 4,000 Cherokee deaths.

In 1794, Eli Whitney, living in Savannah, patented the cotton gin. This machine made it much faster to separate cotton fibers from seeds. The Industrial Revolution in England created a huge demand for cotton. "King Cotton" quickly became the main crop in Georgia and other Southern states. Even though the U.S. banned the slave trade in 1808, Georgia's enslaved population grew from 149,656 in 1820 to 280,944 in 1840.

Enslaved people worked on large cotton plantations. Georgia's economy depended on slavery. Cotton was easy to grow and transport, especially in the fertile "Black Belt" region in the middle of the state. By 1860, the enslaved population in the Black Belt was three times larger than in coastal areas. In 1860, enslaved African Americans made up 44% of Georgia's population of just over one million people.

Education in Early Georgia

Before the 1900s, there were no public high schools, but many private and religious schools existed.

Higher education started in 1785 with The University of Georgia. Rural families often hired traveling teachers for a short time. By 1770, ten grammar schools were open, many taught by ministers. Most had some government money and were free for white students.

Public education was set up during Reconstruction, but after Democrats regained power, they didn't fund schools well. Rural Southern schools had limited public funding until after 1900. Black schools were especially underfunded due to segregation.

Wealthy Georgians sent their children to private schools. Presbyterians were active in creating schools, including many for women, like Georgia Female College and Agnes Scott College.

The Civil War in Georgia

On January 18, 1861, Georgia left the Union and joined the Confederacy in February. White people in Georgia were mostly united in supporting the Confederacy at first. However, by 1863, people became unhappy. There were food riots, soldiers left the army, and some people in the northern mountains supported the Union. Georgia sent 100,000 soldiers to the Confederacy.

The first major battle in Georgia was the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863, a Confederate victory. After President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, enslaved people began leaving plantations to join Union lines and gain freedom. In 1864, William Tecumseh Sherman's armies invaded Georgia as part of the Atlanta Campaign. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston tried to delay Sherman, fighting battles like the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. General John Bell Hood took over but failed to stop Sherman, who captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864.

In November, Sherman began his famous Sherman's March to the Sea. His army lived off the land, burning plantations, destroying railroads, and taking livestock. Thousands of escaped enslaved people followed his troops. Sherman entered Savannah on December 22.

Sherman's march caused huge economic and psychological damage to Georgia and the Confederacy. He estimated $100 million in destruction. His army destroyed 300 miles of railroad, many bridges, and telegraph lines. They took thousands of animals and destroyed cotton gins.

Sherman's "total war" also affected civilians. In July 1864, he ordered about 400 mill workers from Roswell, mostly women, to be arrested as traitors and sent north as prisoners. This was to hurt the South's economy. Few of these women ever returned home.

The memory of Sherman's March became a big part of the "Myth of the Lost Cause." It was featured in Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind and the 1939 film. Many stories focused on what was saved by clever women or loyal enslaved people.

Food Shortages During the War

By summer 1861, the Union navy blocked Southern ports, stopping cotton exports and imports of goods. Food from other areas was also cut off. The governor asked farmers to grow less cotton and more food, but many refused. When cotton prices rose in Europe, they hoped Europe would help break the blockade, but this did not happen. Food shortages worsened, especially in towns. Poor white women sometimes raided stores to get food. As the South lost control of ports, it relied on railroads and bad roads to move supplies. Atlanta became a key rail center, making it a target for Sherman.

Andersonville Prison

In 1864, the Confederacy moved Union prisoners of war to Andersonville in southwest Georgia. It became a death camp due to overcrowding and lack of supplies, food, water, and medicine. During its 15 months, 45,000 Union soldiers were held there, and at least 13,000 died from disease, starvation, or exposure. At its worst, over 100 people died each day. After the war, the camp's commander, Captain Henry Wirz, was the only Confederate executed as a war criminal.

Reconstruction and Economic Growth

After the war, Georgia was devastated. Cotton production fell from over 700,000 bales in 1860 to less than 50,000 in 1865. The state helped build new railroad lines to improve trade. Cotton production increased again in Georgia's upcountry, but coastal rice plantations never fully recovered.

In January 1865, William Tecumseh Sherman ordered that abandoned plantations in the Sea Islands be given to former slaves. But later that year, President Andrew Johnson canceled the order and returned the land to its former owners.

At the start of Reconstruction, Georgia had over 460,000 freedmen (formerly enslaved people). Many moved from farms to Atlanta for better jobs. They created their own communities. A new federal agency, the Freedmen's Bureau, helped black people with work contracts and set up schools and churches. Planters struggled with free labor and tried to control black movement through "Black Codes."

Congress criticized President Johnson for letting former Confederate states rejoin the Union without changes. In March 1867, Congress passed the First Reconstruction Act, putting the South under military rule. Georgia was in the Third Military District. This military rule oversaw the first elections where black men could vote. In 1867, 102,000 white men and 99,000 black men could vote.

In July 1868, the new General Assembly approved the Fourteenth Amendment, and a Republican governor, Rufus Bullock, took office. Georgia was readmitted to the Union. However, white Republicans and Democrats soon worked together to remove all 32 black legislators from the General Assembly. Some former Confederates formed groups like the Ku Klux Klan to oppose Reconstruction.

In 1868, Georgia started the convict lease system. The state leased out prisoners, many of whom were black, to private businesses for labor. Prisoners received no pay. This helped industries like railroads and mines but was often abusive and similar to slavery.

Because of election fraud and opposition to Reconstruction, military rule was reimposed in Georgia in December 1869. In January 1870, General Alfred Terry removed former Confederates from the General Assembly and brought back the black legislators. This new Assembly had a large Republican majority.

In February 1870, the legislature approved the Fifteenth Amendment, and Georgia became the last former Confederate state to rejoin the Union. After military rule ended, Democrats won control of the legislature, partly due to election violence. Black legislators gradually lost their seats as laws were passed to prevent black people from voting, like a poll tax in 1877. By 1908, a new constitution completed the process of preventing black people from voting. Republican governor Rufus Bullock fled the state.

Growth After the War

Under the Reconstruction government, the state capital moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta. A new capitol building was finished by 1889. Atlanta's population grew quickly.

After Reconstruction, Georgia politics were dominated by the "Bourbon Triumvirate": Joseph E. Brown, John B. Gordon, and Alfred H. Colquitt. These Democrats controlled state politics from 1872 to 1890. Gordon was believed by some to be a leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia. He helped negotiate the Compromise of 1877, which ended Reconstruction and federal protection for black people.

During this time, Georgia slowly recovered from the Civil War. In 1885, when Atlanta banned alcohol sales, a pharmacist named John Stith Pemberton invented a new drink. Two years later, Asa Candler bought the drink and promoted it. This drink, Coca-Cola, became Georgia's most famous product.

Henry W. Grady, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, promoted the "New South." He wanted the South to heal after the war and become more industrial. The International Cotton Exposition of 1881 and the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 were held to promote Georgia as a textile center. New textile businesses moved to Columbus, Atlanta, and Graniteville, South Carolina, because of low labor costs and nearby raw materials.

Logging became a major industry in Georgia's forests. This led to other industries like paper mills and turpentine distilling. By 1900, Georgia was a leading producer of naval stores (products from pine trees). Coal, granite, and kaolin mining were also important.

In the late 1800s, political violence stopped black people from voting. White Democrats passed Jim Crow laws and laws to ensure white supremacy. They changed the constitution to add poll taxes (1877), literacy tests, and residency rules for voting. A "grandfather clause" allowed most whites to avoid these rules. By 1900, black people made up 46.7% of Georgia's population, but very few could vote. The state started a white primary in 1908, further excluding black political participation. This continued until the mid-1900s.

The Cotton States and International Exposition was where Booker T. Washington gave his "Atlanta Compromise" speech. He urged black people to focus on improving their skills in farming and trades rather than demanding social equality. He also asked white people to improve race relations.

Other black leaders, like W. E. B. Du Bois, disagreed with Washington. Du Bois believed in high academic standards for education and felt Washington was accepting oppression. Du Bois taught at Atlanta University for several years.

Farming Problems and Voting Rights

Even though some people promoted Georgia's urban future, the state's economy still depended heavily on cotton. Many new factories made simple cotton bags. The price of cotton dropped sharply after the Civil War. By 1898, it cost more to produce cotton than it sold for. Farmers faced great hardship.

Thousands of freedmen became tenant farmers or sharecroppers. They often went into debt to merchants for supplies. By the 1890s, most cotton growers were in debt.

Farmers in Georgia joined movements like the Granger movement, Farmers' Alliance, and Populist Party. In 1892, Congressman Thomas E. Watson joined the Populists. Southern Populists spoke out against the convict lease system and urged white and black farmers to unite for their shared economic interests. Watson argued that racial division kept both black and white farmers poor.

The Populist Party eventually weakened. Watson later became known for his strong anti-Jewish, anti-Catholic, and white supremacist views. He continued to influence Georgia politics.

Voting Restrictions and Court Cases

Governor M. Hoke Smith (1907-1909) oversaw the passage of more Jim Crow laws and a 1908 constitutional amendment. This amendment required people to pass literacy tests and own property to vote. Because of a "grandfather clause" that excused most whites, this effectively stopped African Americans from voting. In 1900, African Americans made up nearly 47% of Georgia's population.

These new rules greatly hurt the African-American community and poor whites. Losing the right to vote meant they couldn't serve on juries or hold local office. They also lost all representation in government.

Court cases helped somewhat, like the Supreme Court overturning the grandfather clause in 1915. But white-controlled state legislatures quickly created new ways to prevent black people from voting, such as white-only primaries.

The last black member of the General Assembly resigned in 1907.

The Progressive Era

In the early 1900s, Georgia's growing middle class worked to modernize the state. They wanted to improve efficiency, use scientific methods, promote education, and stop waste and corruption. Governors like Joseph M. Terrell (1902–07) and Hoke Smith were key leaders. Terrell passed important laws about courts, schools, food and drug safety, taxes, and labor.

Cotton and the Boll Weevil

In the early 1900s, Georgia's economy grew in both factories and farming. The cotton industry did well until the boll weevil arrived. In 1911, Georgia produced a record 2.8 million bales of cotton. But the boll weevil arrived four years later. By 1921, it had destroyed 45% of the state's cotton crop. Cotton prices also fell sharply after World War I. Landowners ruined by the boll weevil and low prices forced their sharecroppers off the land.

African Americans and Migration

Even though black people also participated in the Progressive movement, Jim Crow laws still controlled the state. In 1934, Georgia's poll tax, which also kept poor whites from voting, was upheld by the Supreme Court. By 1940, only 20,000 black people in Georgia were registered to vote. In 1944, the Supreme Court banned white primaries, and in 1945, Georgia removed its poll tax. Activists quickly registered African Americans in cities like Atlanta, but in rural areas, they still faced barriers.

Starting around 1910, many African Americans moved north in the Great Migration. They sought jobs, better education for their children, the right to vote, and escape from violence. From 1910 to 1970, over 6.5 million African Americans left the South for northern and western cities. They became urban workers and many built successful middle-class lives.

Prohibition and Coca-Cola

Prohibition (banning alcohol) was a big issue in Georgia from the 1880s to the 1920s. Many believed that religious revival would stop drunkenness. Women's groups like the Woman's Christian Temperance Union helped pass local laws that made many rural counties "dry." Cities like Atlanta remained "wet."

By 1907, the Anti-Saloon League pushed for a statewide prohibition law, which passed. However, there were loopholes, allowing people to order whiskey by mail. In 1915, a stronger law closed most liquor sales. Illegal distilling and bootlegging continued.

During this time, a non-alcoholic drink became very popular. In 1886, when Atlanta banned alcohol, pharmacist John Stith Pemberton created Coca-Cola. It was first sold at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886. It was sold as a medicine at soda fountains. In 1887, Asa Griggs Candler bought the company and, through strong marketing, made it one of the largest and most profitable companies in the South. Candler later became Mayor of Atlanta. Atlanta's first airport, Candler Field, was named after him.

Women's Suffrage

Rebecca Latimer Felton (1835–1930) was a leading woman in Georgia politics. She was a strong supporter of prohibition and women's right to vote. In 1922, she was appointed to the U.S. Senate and served for one day, becoming the first woman to serve in the Senate.

While urban women organized for suffrage, rural areas were against it. The state legislature refused to let women vote in local elections and was the first state to reject the federal 19th Amendment. However, the Amendment passed nationally, and Georgia women gained the right to vote in 1920. But black women were largely prevented from voting by discriminatory state laws until the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Great Depression and World War II

Georgia was fairly prosperous in the 1910s, with high cotton prices. But lower prices in the 1920s hurt the rural economy and the whole state. By 1932, the economy was in a severe depression. Cotton prices dropped from $1.00 a pound during World War I to 6 cents in 1931-1932. The Great Depression was very hard for both rural and urban Georgians.

Georgia benefited from several New Deal programs, which raised cotton prices, brought electricity to rural areas, and created work relief programs. The Agricultural Adjustment Act paid farmers to plant less cotton to reduce oversupply. Between 1933 and 1940, the New Deal put $250 million into Georgia's economy. President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Georgia often and had his "Little White House" in Warm Springs, where he sought treatment for his polio.

Georgia's powerful governor Eugene Talmadge (1933–37) disliked Roosevelt and the New Deal. He appealed to his white rural supporters, criticizing New Deal programs that paid black workers the same as whites. The Roosevelt administration often worked around Talmadge by cooperating with pro-New Deal politicians like Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield. By 1940, Georgia led the nation in rural electrification and public housing projects.

Talmadge was re-elected governor in 1940 but faced problems when he fired a dean at the University of Georgia for supporting integration. This led to the state's colleges losing their accreditation. In 1942, Talmadge lost his re-election bid. He was re-elected in 1946 but died before taking office, leading to a political crisis known as the "Three Governors Controversy."

Factory production during World War II pulled Georgia's economy out of the depression. The Bell Aircraft plant in Marietta made B-29 bombers and employed nearly 28,000 people. Robins Air Force Base and Fort Benning also grew. Shipyards in Savannah and Brunswick built many Liberty Ships. After the war, Georgia's cities continued to grow.

In 1946, Georgia became the first state to allow 18-year-olds to vote. That same year, the CDC was founded in Atlanta.

From 1946 to 1955, about 500 new factories were built in Georgia. By 1950, more Georgians worked in manufacturing than farming. Machines reduced the need for farm laborers, causing many former sharecroppers to move to cities in the Midwest, West, Northeast, and Georgia's own growing urban centers.

Atlanta's Candler Field was the busiest airport during the war. Mayor William B. Hartsfield successfully lobbied to make Atlanta a major hub for Delta Air Lines. The airport was later renamed in his honor.

The Civil Rights Movement

African Americans who served in World War II returned to a still segregated nation. Many were inspired to join groups like the NAACP to fight for their rights, especially the right to vote and equal education. After the 1946 Supreme Court decision that banned white primaries, NAACP activists worked to register voters. In 1946, 135,000 black people registered to vote in Georgia.

Atlanta, with its black colleges, had a large, educated black middle class that produced leaders for the Civil Rights Movement. The All Citizen's Registration Committee led the voting rights campaign in Atlanta.

Not everyone supported change. Governor Marvin Griffin vowed to keep Georgia's schools segregated after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.

In 1958, the state passed laws to make it harder for black people to register to vote. For example, illiterate people had to answer 20 of 30 comprehension questions from white registrars, which was used to disqualify black voters. In Terrell County, which was 64% black, only 48 black people managed to register.

Atlanta-born minister, Martin Luther King Jr., became a national leader during the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama in 1955. King, a Baptist minister with a doctorate, helped form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Atlanta in 1957. This group provided leadership for the Civil Rights Movement across the South. Black churches and their ministers were central to the struggle.

The SCLC led a desegregation campaign in Albany, Georgia in 1961, but it did not achieve big victories. However, it taught important lessons that were used in the more successful Birmingham campaign in Alabama in 1963–64. Public opinion eventually supported civil rights for all citizens. President John F. Kennedy prepared a Civil Rights bill, and his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, secured its passage in 1964. The next year, Johnson also passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

African Americans across the South registered to vote and began to participate in politics again. By the 1960s, the percentage of African Americans in Georgia had decreased to 28% due to migration. It took some years for African Americans to win statewide office. Julian Bond, a civil rights leader, was elected to the state House in 1965.

Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. supported the Civil Rights Act. Governor Carl Sanders worked with the Kennedy administration to ensure Georgia followed the new laws. Ralph McGill, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, wrote in support of the Civil Rights Movement. However, most white Georgians still opposed integration.

In 1966, Lester Maddox was elected Governor. Maddox was known for threatening black civil rights protesters at his restaurant. After taking office, he appointed more African Americans to important positions than any governor since Reconstruction.

In 1969, the U.S. Department of Justice successfully sued Georgia, requiring the state to integrate public schools. In 1970, newly elected Governor Jimmy Carter declared that the era of racial segregation had ended. In 1972, Georgians elected Andrew Young to Congress, the first African American from Georgia since Reconstruction.

Modern Georgia: Growth and Political Shifts

In 1980, an expansion of William B. Hartsfield International Airport was completed. It became one of the busiest airports in the world and a major driver of economic growth. With affordable land, low taxes, and laws that limit government interference, the Atlanta area became a national center for finance, insurance, and real estate. It also became a major city for conventions and trade shows. In 1990, the International Olympic Committee chose Atlanta to host the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 1991, UPS moved its headquarters to a suburb of Atlanta. In 1992, the Bank of America Plaza was finished, becoming the tallest building in the U.S. outside New York or Chicago.

After the national Democratic Party supported civil rights, Georgia, like other Southern states, gradually shifted to supporting Republicans. This change was sped up by the presidency of Georgia native Jimmy Carter, the popularity of Ronald Reagan, and the Republican Party's efforts.

New Republican leaders emerged. Congressman Newt Gingrich, from the northern suburbs of Atlanta, became Speaker of the House. Bob Barr, another Georgia Republican Congressman, led the effort to impeach President Bill Clinton.

In a changing political environment, leading Georgia Democrats, like Governor Zell Miller (1990–99), became more conservative. After being appointed to the Senate in 2000, Miller became a strong ally of George W. Bush on issues like the war in Iraq and tax cuts. He gave a controversial speech at the 2004 Republican convention, supporting Bush and criticizing his Democratic Party colleagues.

In 2002, Georgia elected Sonny Perdue, the first Republican governor since Reconstruction. Soon after, Republicans gained control of both parts of the State Legislature and all statewide elected offices. In the 2008 presidential election, 39% of Georgia voters identified as conservatives, 48% as moderates, and 13% as liberals. White evangelical voters strongly supported Republican John McCain. The other voters mostly supported Democrat Barack Obama, the first African American president. He was re-elected in 2012.

Images for kids

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  Etowah Indian Mounds in Bartow County, showing the Mississippian culture.

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  The King Site, an ancient Native American village from the mid-1500s.

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  A map showing the parishes of Georgia in 1765.

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  An 1861 25-cent banknote from the Bank of the State of Georgia.

See also

In Spanish: Historia de Georgia (Estados Unidos) para niños