Vocabulary

Appalachian Mountains - a mountain chain that stretches from Georgia to Maine.

Appalachian Plateau - Georgia's smallest region located in the northeastern corner of the state

Barrier Islands - several islands off Georgia's coast; inhabited by Native Americans; the Spanish built several missions on these islands.

Blue Ridge Region - Georgia's northeastern region; receives more rainfall than any other region; many major rivers begin here.

Chattahoochee River - important Georgia river that forms part of the western boundary of the state.

Climate - the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years.

Coastal Plain Region - Georgia's largest region which makes up 3/5 of the state.

Continent - the world's largest land masses.

Fall Line - a geographic boundary that separates the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions; named for decrease in elevation

Hemisphere - lines of latitude and longitude that divide the earth into halves.

Nation - a land mass inhabited by people who share a common territory and government.

Okefenokee Swamp - the largest freshwater swamp in North America; located in southeastern Georgia.

Piedmont Region - Georgia's most populated region known for its red clay; also known as "foot of the mountains"

Savannah River - major river that is used for trade and makes up Georgia's eastern border with South Carolina.

Valley and Ridge Region - Georgia region characterized by low open valleys and narrow ridges.

Artifacts - object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced

Culture - Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

Ecofacts - the natural remains of plants and animals found in the archaeological record

Hernando de Soto - (1496-1542) - Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition through the Southeastern United States; credited as being the first European in Georgia.

Horticulture - The growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The Mississippian Indians planted the "three sisters" crops: corn, beans, and squash.

Mercantilism - the English economic policy focused on exporting more than importing.

Missions - churches set up by the Spanish in hopes of converting Native Americans to Christianity.

Mississippian Indians - (800 C.E.-1600 C.E.) - the last major prehistoric Native American culture in Georgia; known for being large scale framers and mound builders who traded throughout North America.

Small Pox - Disease spread by Europeans in the Americas. Led to the deaths of millions of Native Americans in North and South America

Wattle and Daub - Walls built of a network of interwoven sticks and covered with mud or clay; used by early American Indian cultures and European settlers.

Buffer Colony - one of three reasons for Georgia's founding; colony was to serve as a defensive buffer between Spanish Florida and the successful English colony of South Carolina.

Charter of 1732 - the document that formally established the colony of Georgia; outlines the reasons for Georgia's founding and the regulations set up by the trustees.

Defense - one of the reasons for Georgia's founding. Georgia served as a buffer colony between South Carolina and Spanish held Florida.

Economics - one of the three reasons for Georgia's founding. The English hoped that Georgia would be able to produce wine, rice, silk, and indigo.

Highland Scots - from the Highlands of Scotland and known as some of the best fighters in Europe in the 1700's. James Oglethorpe brought a group to Georgia to serve as soldiers for the colony. The Highland Scots founded the town of Darien.

Indigo - A plant used to make valuable blue dye

James Oglethorpe - (1696-1785) - one of the 21 members of the trustees who established Georgia; only trustee to come to the colony and served as the de facto military and governmental leader of the colony.

Malcontents - a group of colonists who complained about the trustee regulations for the Georgia colony; primary complaint was the ban on slavery and rum. Eventually the malcontents got their way as liquor and slavery were allowed in Georgia in the 1750's.

Mary Musgrove - (1700-1763) - Creek Indian woman who served as the translator for James Oglethorpe and Yamacraw Chief Tomochichi.

Philanthropy - one of the three reasons for Georgia's founding. James Oglethorpe and the trustees hoped to bring debtors and England's "worthy poor" to the colony to begin new lives. However, no debtor was ever released from debtors' prison to come to Georgia. At one time, the term charity was used.

Royal Governor - appointed by the English Monarch to run Georgia: John Reynolds, Henry Ellis, and James Wright

Royal Period (colony) - the period in Georgia beginning in 1752 after the trustees gave authority of the colony to the king. The royal period lasted until the Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolution in 1783.

Salzburgers - a group of Protestants from Austria who were invited to settle in Georgia due to religious persecution they were experiencing in Europe; established the towns of Ebenezer and New Ebenezer; were some of the most successful colonists.

Savannah - The first capital of Georgia; founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe.

Silk Industry - an industry encouraged by the Trustees to support mercantilism; colonists planted mulberry trees to support the silkworms; the silk industry never developed into a profitable venture.

Tomochichi - was the Chief of the Yamacraw Indians. Tomochichi befriended James Oglethorpe and allowed him to establish the colony of Georgia on Yamacraw territory.

Trustee Period - (1732-1751) - the time period when Georgia was governed by the trustees. The trustees created many regulations during the time period, including a ban on slavery, liquor and liquor dealers, lawyers, and Catholics.

Trustee(s) - An individual or organization that holds or manages and invests assets for the benefit of another. A group of 21 men who established the colony of Georgia. Of the group, only one, James Oglethorpe, came to the colony.

Abraham Baldwin - (1754-1807) - Georgia signer of the U.S. Constitution; also a U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator, and the first president of the University of Georgia.

Articles of Confederation - America's first written constitution; had many limitations that hindered the smooth functioning of the government.

Battle of Kettle Creek - (February 14, 1779) - Small Revolutionary War battle in Georgia where patriot forces, led by Elijah Clarke, defeated 600 loyalists; one of the few patriot victories in the state.

Broadside - a sizable sheet of paper printed on one side.

Button Gwinnett - (1735-1777) - Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence; killed in a duel with Lachlan McIntosh.

Constitution - a written document that outlines a country's government.

Constitutional Convention - meeting that took place in Philadelphia from May to September 1787; original intent was to revise the Articles of Confederation, though the entire document was soon scrapped and a new constitution was written.

Declaration of Independence - three-part document that discusses natural rights, explains the wrongs committed by King George, and offers an official declaration of independence from England.

French and Indian War - (1754-1763) - a war between England, France, and their Native American allies for control of North America. The English won the war and gained large area of North American from the French. The war did not affect Georgia directly but the Georgia colony gained land after the conclusion of the conflict.

George Walton - (1749-1804) - the youngest of the Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence; Georgia governor, and U.S. Senator.

Great Compromise - a compromise made between the large and small states during the Constitutional Convention; allowed for a two house legislative branches with the number of senators for each state being equal (2 per state) and the number of members of the House of Representatives being based on the state's population.

Grievances - an official statement of a complaint over something believed to be wrong or unfair.

Loyalists - colonists who were loyal to Great Britain; also known as Tories.

Lyman Hall - (1724-1790) - Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence; governor of Georgia.

Patriot - a colonist who wanted to become independent from Great Britain.

Preamble - the beginning of a document that explains why the document exists. In the case of the Declaration of Independence the preamble explains natural rights.

Proclamation of 1763 - royal proclamation that forbade English colonists from settling newly acquired land west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Siege of Savannah - (September 16, 1779-October 18, 1779) - a failed attempt by the French and Americans to recapture Savannah during the Revolution.

William Few - (1748-1828) - Georgia signer of the U.S. Constitution; was also a judge and legislator for Georgia and New York.

Cherokee Indians - Native American tribe that lived in northwestern Georgia; forcefully removed from the state in the early 1830's.

Creek Indians - American Indian tribe that lived in southern Georgia; was removed from the state through treaties in the 1820's.

Dahlonega Gold Rush - Site of America's first gold rush in 1828; discovery of gold in the area was a factor in the Cherokee removal.

Headright System - land allocation approach that provided the head of a family up to 200 acres of free land in the Georgia frontier.

John Marshall - (1755-1835) - Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme court who ruled in favor of the Cherokee in the Worcester vs. Georgia case; President Andrew Jackson refused to enforce the Supreme Court's ruling.

John Ross - (1790-1866) - Principal Chief of the Cherokee Indians who tried to use legal means to fight against removal.

Land Lottery - land allocation approach that gave the average Georgian a chance to buy land at pennies on the dollar.

Railroad - one of the major technological advances in the 19th century. Georgia was one of the leaders in railroad development in the 1830's and many of Georgia's towns and cities were established due to the railroad.

Trail of Tears - final removal of the Cherokee Indians from Georgia in 1838; over 4,000 people died on the forced march from Georgia to Oklahoma.

University of Georgia - the first state sponsored public University in the United States; founded in 1785.

William McIntosh - (1778-1825) - Creek chief who illegally signed the Second Treaty of Indian Springs; was murdered by his tribesmen for this action.

Worcester v. Georgia - (1832) - landmark Supreme Court case which declared that the Cherokee were sovereign and not subject to the laws of the United States. However, Andrew Jackson refused to enforce the Court's decision and the Cherokee were later removed from Georgia.

Yazoo Land Fraud - an event where land companies bribed members of the Georgia General Assembly to sell land for pennies on the dollar.

13th Amendment - ended slavery in the United States

14th Amendment - gave African-Americans or Blacks United States citizenship.

15th Amendment - gave African-American or Black men the right to vote.

Abraham Lincoln - (1809 - 1865) - The 16th president of the United States, Lincoln preserved the Union during the U.S. Civil War and brought about the emancipation of slaves.

Andersonville - infamous Civil War prisoner-of-war camp in Macon County, Georgia. Over 13,000 Union soldiers died in the camp.

Atlanta Campaign - a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864; a Union military campaign led by William T. Sherman from May 1864-September 1864 with the Atlanta as the ultimate objective; Sherman's army marched from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Included the battles of Dalton (Union victory), Resaca (Union victory), and Kennesaw Mountain (Confederate victory; only Union loss during the campaign)

Battle of Chickamauga - (September 18-20, 1863) - Confederate victory; largest battle fought in Georgia; led to the battle of Chattanooga.

Black Legislators - during the Reconstruction Period (1867-1876) sixty-nine African-Americans or Blacks served as delegates to Georgia's constitutional convention or served as members of the state legislature. These legislators were removed from their seats after 1876.

Compromise of 1850 - compromise between the North and South that allowed California to enter the union in exchange for the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Congressional Reconstruction - (1866-1867) - Reconstruction period where Congress took responsibility for bringing the South back into the Union

Cotton Gin - machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 that quickly removed seeds from the cotton fibers.

Dred Scott Case - (1857) - Supreme Court ruling that declared slaves were not citizens of the United States.

Election of 1860 - election where Abraham Lincoln defeated three opponents to win the presidency; upon Lincoln's election Southern states seceded from the Union

Emancipation Proclamation - document that declared all slaves in the rebellious states would be freed if the South did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863.

Freedmen's Bureau - federal agency created in 1865 to provide aid to former slaves (freedmen).

Georgia Platform - position supported by several prominent Georgia politicians who supported the Compromise of 1850.

Ku Klux Klan - terrorist organization created to intimidate and prevent freedmen and Republicans from gaining political power in the South.

Nullification - the act of making legally null and void.

Secession - the act of separating from a nation or state and becoming independent; the withdrawal of eleven southern states from the Union in 1860, leading to the Civil War.

Sharecropping - farmers who agreed to work on a landowner's property in exchange for land, farming equipment, and seed; sharecroppers were required to provide the land owner with a share of the crop.

Slavery - involuntary servitude of African-Americans or Blacks in the United States from 1619-1865.

State's Rights - the belief that a state's sovereignty is more important than that of the national government.

Tenant Farming - farmers who agreed to work on a landowner's property were required to provide the landowner with a share of the crop; unlike sharecroppers, tenant farmers usually owned their own farming equipment.

Union Blockade - a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The Union wanted to try and choke off resupply to the South, and to prevent the shipment of arms, ammunition and material to the Southern States.

1. Alonzo Herndon former slave who became a millionaire and successful entrepreneur - founder of the Atlanta Mutual Life Insurance Company.

2. Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) - educator, author, political activist, and orator; promoted the idea that African-Americans or Blacks should pursue economic and educational endeavors before seeking social and political equality.

3. Bourbon Triumvirate three powerful Georgia politicians (Joseph E. Brown, Alfred H. Colquitt, and John B. Gordon) who dominated Georgia politics for over 20 years.

4. Disenfranchisement to deprive a person the right to vote or rights of citizenship.

5. Dubois, W.E.B. civil rights leader and college professor who fought for immediate social and political rights for AfricanAmericans

6. Henry Grady (1850-1889) - managing editor for the Atlanta Journal who promoted the concept of the "New South."

7. International Cotton Expositions a series of three large events (1881, 1885, 1895) established to display Atlanta's growth and industrial capabilities and to lure Northern investment to the region.

8. Jim Crow Laws laws created by state legislatures to deny African-Americans or Blacks citizenship rights

9. Leo Frank Case trial where a Northern Jewish pencil factory manager was accused of murdering 13 year old Mary Phagan; found guilty of the crime and sentenced to death, his sentence was later reduced to life due to additional evidence. However, a group of men calling themselves "the Knights of Mary Phagan" took Frank out of his prison cell and lynched him in Marietta.

10. New South period after Reconstruction where political and community leaders in the South sought to diversify Georgia's economy and bring Northern technology and/or investments into the state.

11. Plessy v. Ferguson (1892) - Supreme Court case that established the separate but equal doctrine thus promoting segregation.

1. Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) a New Deal program that paid farmers a stipend not to grow crops in order to increase the price of agricultural products.

2. Boll Weevil insect whose larvae feed on cotton crops; decimated cotton production in the southeastern United States.

3. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) a New Deal program that hired unemployed young men to work on public works projects.

4. Drought of 1924 one of the worst droughts in Georgia's history; led to a depression in the state that predated the Great Depression.

5. Eugene Talmadge (1884-1946) - four time Georgia governor that fought against Roosevelt's New Deal policies.

6. New Deal name given to a series of federal programs spearheaded by President Franklin Roosevelt in order to help the nation recover from the Great Depression.

7. Rural Electrification Act (REA) the New Deal program designed to build the capabilities to bring electricity to rural areas.

8. Social Security Act (SSA) New Deal program that provided retirement and unemployment insurance for American taxpayers.

9. World War I (1914-1918) - major war primarily between European powers; U.S. entered the war in 1917.

1. 1946 Governor's Race also called the Three Governors Controversy. Due to the death of the 1946 governor's race winner Eugene Talmadge and recent changes to the Georgia state constitution, three men (Herman Talmadge, Melvin Thompson, and Ellis Arnall) had a legitimate claim to the office; the matter was settled by the Supreme Court and a special election in 1948.

2. Bell Bomber Plant factory located in Marietta, Georgia, that produced B-29 bombers for the U.S. war effort.

3. Hartsfield, William B. Atlanta's longest serving mayor who was instrumental in bring aviation to the city and worked with civil rights leaders during the civil rights movement.

4. Ivan Allen mayor of Atlanta who was instrumental in the development of the city, bringing major league sports teams to Atlanta, and a key figure in the civil rights movement.

5. LendLease Act (1941) act that allowed the U.S. government to send billions of dollars in supplies and military equipment to allied countries in exchange for U.S. rights in their military bases.

6. Pearl Harbor American Naval base in Hawaii; a surprise attack on the base by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941 resulted in the U.S. entering World War II.

7. Russell, Richard Georgia governor and influential long term U.S. Senator. Strongly supported a strong military for the United States. Known as the "Father of the School Lunch Program."

8. Savannah and Brunswick Ship Yards Georgia's two deep water ports; during World War II, 187 Liberty Ships were constructed there.

9. Vinson, Carl (1883-1981) - GA Congressman who was an advocate for a strong US military; served 25 terms in the US house of representatives, making him the longest serving congressman in the US history. Known as "Father of the Two Ocean Navy."

10. World War II (1939- 1945) The most destructive war in human history; America entered the war in 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.