Georgia History

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Brief History
The following important events in the history of Georgia affected political boundaries, record-keeping, and family movements.


 * 1732: King George II of England granted a charter to James Oglethorpe for the colony of Georgia as a place of refuge.
 * 1732: James Oglethorpe as governor, settles town of Sunbury. Early settlers mainly German protestants and Highlanders from Scotland.
 * 1733: James Oglethorpe founded the city of Savannah, as a refuge for English debtors.
 * 1733: Indian land ceded
 * 1734: German-speaking Salzburgers began to settle at Ebenezer, in present-day Effingham County.
 * 1742: A new Government established.
 * 1752: The charter was surrendered and Georgia became a crown colony.
 * 1755: A general court judicial system is established.
 * 1757: Group of 160 Germans arrive at Fort Ebenezer, Effingham County, near Bethany, under leadership of William DeBrahm.
 * 10 February 1763: The French and Indian War came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Paris 1763.
 * 1763: Indian land ceded
 * 1763: The country between the Alatamaha and St. Mary's rivers annexed to Georgia.
 * 1773 &amp; 1783: Indian land ceded
 * 1777: Georgia is divided into nine counties, parish system is abolished.
 * 1784-1820: Thousands of Americans moved to Georgia seeking inexpensive land. The first land lottery was held in 1805.
 * 1788: Georgia became a state.
 * 1790: Indian land ceded
 * 1802: Indian land ceded
 * 1802:Georgia relinquished its claims to lands west of the Chattahoochee River. These lands became part of Mississippi and Alabama.
 * 1804, 1817, 1818, 1819, 1821, 1826 &amp; 1833: Indian land ceded
 * 1805, 1807, 1820, 1821, 1827 &amp; 1832: Georgia Land Lotteries
 * 1828: The discovery of gold on Cherokee land prompted the Georgia state legislature to declare that all Cherokee land would be open to white settlement.
 * 1832: Ralph Waldo Emerson, the poet and essayist, wrote to President Van Buren appealing against the removal of the Cherokee tribe beyond the Mississippi.
 * 1835: Treaty of New Echota: the Cherokee Nation ceded all its remaining land.
 * 25 May 1838: Removal of the Cherokee Indians began under the command of General Winfield Scott. General Charles Floyd was in command of field operations.
 * December 1838: The remaining Cherokee Indians were forcibly removed from Georgia by Federal Troops to Indian territory west of the Mississippi River. (Trail of Tears and White River Trace) The survivors reached northeastern Oklahoma in March 1839.
 * 1861: Georgia seceded from the Union. It was readmitted in 1870.
 * 1898: Over 300,000 men were involved in the Spanish-American War which was fought mainly in Cuba and the Philippines.
 * 1917–1918: More than 26 million men from the United States ages 18 through 45 registered with the Selective Service. World War I over 4.7 million American men and women served during the war.
 * 1930's: The Great Depression closed many factories and mills. Many small farms were abandoned, and many families moved to cities.
 * 1940–1945: Over 50.6 million men ages 18 to 65 registered with the Selective Service. Over 16.3 million American men and women served in the armed forces during World War II.
 * 1950–1953: Over 5.7 million American men and women served in the Korean War.
 * 1950's–1960's: The building of interstate highways made it easier for people to move long distances.
 * 1964–1972: Over 8.7 million American men and women served in the Vietnam War.

Historical Content
Histories are great sources of genealogical information. Many contain biographical information about individuals who lived in the area, including:

Local Histories
Some of the most valuable sources for family history research are local histories. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search. Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.


 * A Bibliography of American County Histories


 * United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress

State Histories Useful to Genealogists
Good genealogists strive to understand the life and times of their ancestors. In this sense, any history is useful. But certain kinds of state, county, and local histories, especially older histories published between 1845 and 1945, often include biographical sketches of prominent individuals. The sketches usually tend toward the lauditory, but may include some genealogical details. If these histories are indexed or alphabetical, check for an ancestor's name. Some examples for the State of


 * The Story of Georgia and the Georgia People, 1732-1860 is a detailed history of Georgia's counties and early settlers


 * Georgia Genealogy and Local History: A Bibliography.


 * Georgia History: A Bibliography

United States History
The following are only a few of the many sources that are available:


 * The Almanac of American History, This provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.


 * Dictionary of American History, Revised ed This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations. A snippet view is available at Google books.


 * Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium  This includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.


 * Writings on American History Has the full text available at Google Books

To find more books and articles about Georgia 's history use the Internet Google search for phases like "Georgia history." Family History Library Catalog Surname Search lists many more histories under topics like:
 * GEORGIA - HISTORY
 * GEORGIA. [COUNTY] - HISTORY
 * GEORGIA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - HISTORY
 * GEORGIA, BIBLIOGRAPHY

Web Sites

 * Georgia State Facts & Information
 * GeorgiaInfo is an extensive Web online resource about Georgia.
 * History of Georgia - Wikipedia
 * Our Georgia History