Unit 7: Development of Georgia 1789-1840 Georgia Performance Standards: SS8H5: The student will explain significant factors that affected the development of Georgia as part of the growth of the United States between 1789-1840.

Unit 7: Vocabulary Terms & Definitions University of Georgia: The 1st and oldest state supported university chartered in the USA. Baptist Church: Believed that each church should operate independently with its own ministers. Methodist Church: Created in Savannah, GA in 1736 by brothers John and Charles Wesley. Louisville: It became Georgia’s capital city in 1795. Headright System: White males identified as the “head” of their family were given up to 1,000 acres of land in Georgia. Land Lottery: From 1805-1832, Georgia distributed land taken from the Creek and the Cherokee through a lottery process.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Education 1784-The General Assembly set aside 20,000 acres of land and named trustees to establish a college in Georgia. 1785-The University of Georgia was chartered as a land grant university (a school for which the state government gave public land). UGA is the first and oldest state supported university chartered in the USA. The university has no religious affiliation. SS8H5a: Explain the establishment of UGA, Louisville, and the spread of Baptist & Methodist churches.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Religion Churches were an essential part of the community for meetings & social events. Both the Baptist and Methodist denominations became the two most practiced forms of Christianity in Georgia. The Baptist believed that each church should operate independently with its own ministers. The Methodists believed that congregations had connections to each other through districts. Therefore, Methodist ministers (circuit riders)would travel to and from different districts to preach on Sundays using a rotation schedule. 1736-Methodist religion was created in Savannah, GA by brothers John and Charles Wesley. SS8H5a: Explain the establishment of UGA, Louisville, and the spread of Baptist & Methodist churches.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Religion These denominations became involved in higher education by establishing colleges: The Methodists created Wesleyan College (1836) for girls and Emory University (1836) for boys. http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories/stories/wesleyan_female_college. The Baptists created Mercer College (1833). SS8H5a: Explain the establishment of UGA, Louisville, and the spread of Baptist & Methodist churches.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) 1795-1805, Georgia’s capital city was moved to Louisville (present day Jefferson County). As population increased inland, the capital cities of Georgia were eventually moved to become more centrally located inside the state. SS8H5a: Explain the establishment of UGA, Louisville, and the spread of Baptist & Methodist churches.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Land was valuable and in high demand. Land east of the Oconee River that belonged to the Native Americans was given to Georgians by means of the Headright System. The Headright System counted each white male as a “head” of a family. White males deemed the “head” of their family was given up to 1,000 acres of land. SS8H5b: Evaluate the impact of land policies pursued by Georgia (Headright system, land lotteries, and the Yazoo Land Fraud).

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) When public domain land (lands owned by the state or federal government) were opened for settlement, Georgia surveyed land lots of different sizes. These land lots, which were located west of the Oconee River, were known as “lottery land.” For a fee, any white male 21 years of age or older could buy a chance and, on the spin of a wheel, win land. Heads of households with children, war veterans, and widows were given extra chances in the land lottery. SS8H5b: Evaluate the impact of land policies pursued by Georgia (Headright system, land lotteries, and the Yazoo Land Fraud).

Unit 7: Vocabulary Terms & Definitions Yazoo Land Fraud: In 1795, land companies bribed Georgia legislators to pass a law allowing them to buy large amounts of land for lower prices, and to be able to sell smaller portions of land to settlers for a higher price. Alexander McGillivray: Upper Creek Indian Chief, who tried to protect his tribe’s land from U.S. & Georgia’s government. Compact of 1802: Georgia gave up all of its land involved in the Yazoo Land Fraud to the U.S. government.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) By 1795, Georgians hunger for land had peaked. Georgia’s western borders were to the Mississippi River and the Yazoo River (included in this territory were the present states of Alabama and Mississippi. In addition, both South Carolina and Spain claimed some of the same land…so this battle for land was taken to court for a settlement.

Yazoo Land Fraud Map

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Before any settlement was made, four land companies approached Governor George Matthews and the members of the General Assembly, and bribed them to pass a bill allowing the land companies to buy up western lands. When the General Assembly enacted the bill into law, the land companies bought between 35 and 50 million acres of land for only $500,000 (1¢ per acre).

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) When the public found out what happened, this scandal was called the Yazoo Land Fraud. As a result, the guilty legislators of the General Assembly were voted out of office and the law allowing this land to be sold were repealed. People who bought land from the four land companies sued the state of Georgia, in order to keep their land. The federal government resolved this scandal by paying over $4 million to settle land claims.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) In 1802, Georgia ceded (gave up) its land west of the Chattahoochee River to the federal government for $1.25 million. The Chattahoochee River became Georgia’s western boundary. SS8H5b: Evaluate the impact of land policies pursued by Georgia (Headright system, land lotteries, and the Yazoo Land Fraud).

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Technological Developments In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. This invention was a machine with wire teeth on a turning cylinder, which separated the cotton from the seed. Cotton planters loved the cotton gin, because workers were able to separate about 50 lbs of cotton day (prior only 6-7 lbs a day). Eli earned nothing from his invention, because cotton planters stole his invention before it was patented (copyrighted/trademarked). SS8H5d: Explain how technological developments, including the cotton gin and railroads had an impact on Georgia’s growth.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Technological Developments Steam engines used to power boats revolutionized how manufactured goods got to markets. The fastest way to move people and goods was by water from 1807 to the 1830s.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Technological Developments During the 1800s, a major economic development was the building of railroads. Prior to railroads, people traveled on horses, boats, or stagecoaches. Freight (goods shipped by boat) was sent to the market by steamboats, ferries, or wagon trains. SS8H5d: Explain how technological developments, including the cotton gin and railroads had an impact on Georgia’s growth.

Development of Georgia (1789-1840) Technological Developments 1836-Most of the railroad tracks in Georgia belonged to the Western & Atlantic Railroad company. They ran from Chattanooga, TN to a town called Terminus (present-day Atlanta, GA). Railroads shortened travel time for both passengers and freight from days to simply hours. http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories/stories/railroads_economic_boom SS8H5d: Explain how technological developments, including the cotton gin and railroads had an impact on Georgia’s growth.

References Blankenship, G. and Wood, V. (2009). Georgia CRCT test prep: 8th grade Georgia studies. Atlanta, GA: Clairmont Press, Inc. Klein, P. and Pascoe, C. (2005). Georgia: In the American experience. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, Inc. London, B. B. (1999). Georgia: The history of an American state. Montgomery, AL: Clairmont Press.