Georgia Studies

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Georgia Studies

Unit 3- Revolution in Georgia

Lesson 4: Westward

Expansion

Lesson 4: Westward Expansion

Essential Question:

-How do political policies and new technologies influence growth and development?

Education and Religion

The University of Georgia chartered in 1785 as nation’s first land-grant university; opened for classes in 1801

Georgia Female College (later Wesleyan College) opened in 1836

Religious groups, such as the Baptist and

Methodist churches, also began to spread across

Georgia. As more towns were established churches became the centers for social and commuity life.

Cotton and the Cotton Gin

Cash Crop-Crops which are grown to be sold

Eli Whitney in 1793 invented a machine for separating cotton seeds from its fiber

Increased the amount cotton growers could process each day

The cotton gin used wire teeth on a turning cylinder to separate the seed from fiber

Other inventions, such as Cyrus McCormick’s Mechanical

Reaper also helped farmers to become more productive.

Since farmers were now able to do more work each day, many farmers wanted to move westward so that they could have even larger farms.

The Western Territory

In 1802, Georgia ceded its land claims west of the

Chattahoochee River to the federal government for $1.25 million

President Thomas Jefferson doubled the nation’s size in

1803 with the Louisiana territory purchase; the U.S. paid

France $15 million for land that stretched to the Rocky

Mountains

Many people began to move west across the Oregon and

Santa Fe trails, many of these hoping to find gold. Between

1848 and 1850, the population of California increased tenfold due to the major gold rush.

Georgia’s farmers now had access to a large amount of land.

Frontier Georgia

Undeveloped land in central and western Georgia

Few settlers; much land given away in land lotteries or through the Headright System

Far-flung trading posts were only stories

Often danger lurked from hostile attacks

Social activities often centered around necessary work

The country store became the center of activity; few luxuries were available

Headright System

Indian land in Georgia east of the Oconee River was given to settlers

Every white male counted as a head of household and had the “right” to receive up to 1,000 acres

This was generally replaced in 1803 by a land lottery for government-owned land west of the

Oconee

All white heads-of-household could buy a lottery chance and win land; millions of acres in several states were given away

Yazoo Land Fraud

Around 1795, four companies bribed the governor and legislators

Bought millions of acres in western Georgia for 1

½ ¢ an acre

The public found out and protested; the legislators involved were voted out of office

The General Assembly repealed the law approving the sale; the federal government paid more than

$4 million to help Georgia settle Yazoo land claims

Early Roads in Georgia

Railroads, most built after 1830, replaced horses, stagecoaches, and boats. Railroads helped

Georgia’s citizens travel and trade much more efficiently.

Most Georgia roads ran east to west; they were former Indian footpaths

Plank roads over wetlands that featured “pikes” or gates were called turnpikes

Travelers paid a toll, or fee at each pike; the Old

Federal Road connected Athens north to

Tennessee

Georgia’s Capital City

After the American Revolution Georgia’s capital city moved from the original capital (Savannah) to Augusta.

As Georgia’s population began to move farther west Georgia decided to move its capital city; Louisville served as GA’s third capital city from

1795-1807.

The city of Milledgeville served as Georgia’s fourth capital cit from 1807 until after the Civil War (1868)

The city of Terminus was created in 1837 and meant to serve as the end of a proposed railroad that originated in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Terminus was renamed Marthasville in 1843, after the daughter of former Governor Wilson Lumpkin

The name was changed to Atlanta in 1845. Atlanta became Georgia’s fifth capital city in 1868.

Georgia Studies

Unit 3: Revolution in Georgia

Lesson 5: Indian Removal

Lesson 5: Indian Removal

Essential Question:

-

How do economic and political factors affect disenfranchised groups?

(e.g. Creeks and Cherokees)

Creek Indians

Series of clashes between Creek and settlers who pushed into their land known as Oconee War

Treaty of New York: Creek Chief Alexander

McGillivray signed the treaty giving up all land east of the Oconee River, but could keep land on the west side; this angered Georgia settlers, who felt betrayed by their government

Land treaties were often broken

Red Stick Creeks endorsed war to fight for their land claims; White Stick Creeks wanted peace

The Creek War

Red Sticks attacked Fort Mims, killing more than

400 people

The Battle of Horseshoe Band, in Alabama, ended the Creek War in 1814; Andrew Jackson led the

U.S. Troops

The Creeks were forced to give up nearly all their land to the U. S. Government

The Treaty of Indian Springs gave up last Creek lands in Georgia to the U. S. : Chief William

McIntosh was later murdered by rival Creeks for signing the treaty

Removal of the Creeks

Treaty of Washington (1832) resulted in 5 million acres of Creek land ceded to the United States

U.S. agreed to allow Creeks who wished to remain and live on 2 million of those acres; the U.S. promised to protect those who stayed

Those who didn’t wish to stay would have to move to the western territories

The treaty was broker; by 1840, nearly all Creeks were forced to move west

Cherokee Culture

Most advanced of Georgia’s tribes; learned quickly from white settlers

Some, like Chief James Vann, lived in large houses

Chief Vann encouraged Christianity

Sequoyah developed a syllabary, a group of symbols that stand for whole syllables; it gave

Cherokees a written form of their language

Government modeled on that of United States; capital at New Echota by 1825

Cherokee Removal

Indian Removal Act of 1830-Signed by President Andrew

Jackson; made the practice of forcibly removing Native

Americans legal.

Dahlonega Gold Rush-Gold was discovered on Cherokee land in north Georgia near the city of Dahlonega; heightened demand for Cherokee land

The Supreme Court of the United States and Chief Justice

John Marshall decided that the Cherokee were a sovereign nation and should be allowed to rule themselves.

Without the support of Chief John Ross, a rebellious

Cherokee group signed a treaty giving away all Cherokee land

The Trail of Tears

Between 1832 and 1835, Cherokees were stripped of their land

In the winter of 1838, thousand of

Cherokees were forcibly removed to

Oklahoma; about 4,000 died from disease, exposure, or hunger

700 to 800 escaped and hid in the North

Carolina mountains

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