Georgia Stories

Georgia’s geography is varied and expansive, encompassing rolling mountains and valleys in the north to sweeping plains, beaches, and swamps in the south. The state’s unique physical characteristics are highlighted in the geologic record and in the diversity of landforms...

Humans first arrived in the region we today call Georgia more than eleven thousand years ago. They developed systems of governance, economic sustainability, and cultural spirituality. As groups became more sophisticated, traditions and customs were passed along to preserve a unique heritage.

From Hernando de Soto’s earliest journey through the southeast to the years after the French and Indian War, Georgia developed thriving cities, a bustling port, and a culture influenced by Spanish, French, British, and Native American societies.

In the years after the American Revolution, Georgia experienced a period of infrastructure building, increased economic growth, and the associated movement of its state capital. As settlers expanded westward seeking opportunity and Native Americans were forcefully compressed into the same limited territories, relationships among these culturally diverse groups became increasingly tense.

The period encompassing the decades before the Civil War shows two distinctly American societies diverging both economically and ideologically. As the North grew into an industrial powerhouse, it continued to benefit from the South’s primarily agrarian system, built on a foundation of forced labor. These profoundly different cultures and perspectives would eventually clash in the War Between the States.

As the threat of abolition intensified with the presidential election of Abraham Lincoln, Georgia joined other slave-holding states in seceding from the Union to form a new nation, the Confederate States of America. Over the next four years, Georgia witnessed success on the battlefield and devastation in its capital as Sherman marched from the Atlanta campaign to the sea. At the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, America had suffered its deadliest war, and the charred remains of Georgia were readmitted to the United States.

Georgia’s recovery after the Civil War was slow and arduous. With transportation networks destroyed, major cities in ruins, and widespread devastation of the population and economy, Georgia faced the daunting task of rebuilding its foundations, integrating back into the Union, and assimilating newly freed African-American citizens.

Georgia’s rise from the ashes of civil war sparked a debate about development and the future of the state. Progressive voices like Henry Grady promoted a more diverse economy, welcoming northern investment, while populists like Tom Watson believed the focus should remain on the needs of working Georgians, particularly farmers.

Like much of the rural south, Georgia faced a struggling agricultural economy even before the market crash of 1929. But as the nation reeled from a downward-spiraling economic shock, the lives of Georgians became increasingly difficult. Jobs were scarce, banks and businesses were wary of investing, and even the daily necessities of life were hard to come by.

Contributing to the efforts of fellow Georgians fighting overseas in Europe and the Pacific, workers across the state rose to the challenge of producing crucial materials for the war effort. From ordnance plants to plane and shipbuilding factories, Georgians of every background worked together to support the fight.

Following World War II, Georgia entered a period of great transition, with populations moving from rural to urban landscapes, the economy modernizing and diversifying, and political influence shifting from traditional centers of influence.

Home to some of the most prominent figures of the Civil Rights Movement, Georgia nevertheless wrestled with bringing an end to the Jim Crow era. Early efforts to integrate society were met with resistance from both the public and the state, and it would ultimately take decades for Georgia to fully relinquish the practice of segregation.

In the wake of tumultuous national events during the 1950s and 1960s, Georgia became an increasingly progressive state. Administrations focused more on diversifying Georgia’s economy, politics became more representative of Georgia’s demographics, and the state soon evolved into a regional and national hub for business and entertainment.