The Age of Expansion
Day 1
Manifest Destiny
 The people of the US
felt it was their
mission to extend the
boundaries of freedom
to others, to impart
their beliefs in
democratic institutions
and self-government.
 There was also an
economic drive to
expand the riches of
the nation by moving
west.
Changes after the Revolutionary War
 Along with their
hunger for
independence
from Great
Britain, many
Georgians
developed a huge
appetite for
LAND!!!!
Cherokee
Lands
Creek
Lands
Headright System
 During the settlement of the colony, much
of the land east of the Oconee River
belonging to the Indians was given to
settlers by the Headright System.
 Each white male counted as a “head” of a
family.
 They had the “right” to receive up to
1,000 acres.
Land Lottery
 Replaced the Headright System in 1803.
 When public domain lands
(lands owned by the state or
federal gov’t) were opened
for settlement, Georgia
surveyed land lots of different
sizes.
 Located west of the Oconee
River.
 For a small fee, any white
male 21 years or older could
buy a chance to spin a wheel
and win land.
What Is Fairness?
 Free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice
 Give examples of a time when you felt
someone was unfair to you (without using
names).
What is Fraud?
 Deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of
confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain
some unfair or dishonest advantage.
Yazoo Land Fraud
 Georgia’s
western
borders were
the Mississippi
River and one
of its
tributaries –
the Yazoo
River.
 Both South Carolina and
Spain claimed some of
this same land
 So, the matter went to
court...
However, before a settlement could
be made, 4 land companies
approached ...
Governor George Mathews &
members of the Georgia General
Assembly...
 They bribed the Legislators to pass a bill allowing
the companies to buy the western lands.
 The Assembly passed a bill allowing them to
purchase between 35 – 50 million acres of
land for $500,000 – about 1 ½ cents per acre.
 The public quickly learned of this
bargain basement sale, and there
were protests all over the state.
 Newspapers printed articles
telling what the legislators had
done.
 Grand juries met to look into both
the law and the land sales.
 Citizens called for the resignation
of the legislation involved.
As a result, the legislators involved were
voted out of office.
The new legislature repealed the law.
All records of these land sales were burned in public at
Louisville (the state’s capital at the time).
Georgia Cedes Western Land
 Lost land and a lot of money because of
the Yazoo Land Fraud.
 Ceded (Gave Up) land west of the
Chattahoochee River to the federal gov’t
for $1.25 million.
Louisiana
Purchase
 Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd president (succeeded
John Adams).
 Bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million
in 1803.
 Doubled the size of the United States.
 Western Border = Rocky Mountains
Economic Growth in Georgia
Cons
Pros
State has no money to
pay for war debt.
Mechanized Farming Tools
Many Tories left with the British
and took money, slaves, and
indentured servants with them.
Few citizens had money
to pay taxes.
Steamboats
Railroad Engines
Advances in Industry,
Business, and Commerce
Farming
2 Main Crops
cotton
Cotton
became “king”
in the South.
tobacco
Eli Whitney
 Invented the cotton gin which separated the cotton
fibers from the seeds
Before the cotton gin
Worker could separate 6 – 7
pounds of cotton seed per day.
After the cotton gin
Worker could separate 50 pounds
of cotton seed per day.
Mechanical Reaper
 Inventor = Cyrus McCormick
 Fastened wooden paddles to the harness of a horse.
 As the paddles turned, it would cut the grain.
These time and labor-saving devices helped
Georgians to work larger and more
profitable farms.
Panic of 1837
 After this period of a strong economy with these
new inventions, Georgia suddenly experienced a
period of depression (a sharp economic downturn).
Businesses Failed
Farmers & Planters Lost Land
Banks Failed
Transportation
horses
Before
Railroads
stagecoaches
boats
Transportation
After Railroads...
Freight was sent to market by...
Riverboats
Ferries
Wagon Trains
Roads
 The federal government built some major highways in the
early 1800s.
 Called
Turnpikes
because they
had “pikes” or
gates.
 Travelers had
to pay a fee at
each pike to
remain on the
road.
Ferries
Unique horse-drawn log rafts carried travelers across the rivers
at their shallowest points.
In the deepest
river waters,
the ferries used
a pulley and
cable system –
required a
strong back and
arm as the ferry
operator pulled
the raft across
the river.
Railroads
 At first, rail travel was the least
favored means of transportation.
 Most of the track in Georgia
belonged to the Western and
Atlantic Railroads.
 Started near Chattanooga,
Tennessee and ended at
Terminus (end of the railroad
line/today’s Atlanta)
 Dramatically shortened travel
time for passengers and freight.