Georgia Expands West
The Pursuit of Land
Land meant wealth and power to Americans.
Settlers moved westward into lands claimed by
Creeks and Cherokee.
Indian lands were acquired through negotiated
treaties .
A Change in Agriculture- 1800s
Most land was distributed
among wealthy white men.
Plantations replaced
smaller farms in the soil
rich Piedmont region.
Tobacco and cotton
became the major crops.
Pursuit of Land
Many believed that all citizens should have
the right to own land…
But how should it be divided???
Georgia pursued several land policies to
try to answer this question..
Headright system-1782
head of a household had a
right to land. White men
over 21.
200 acres = head of a
household.
50 acres = each family
member and slaves.
Maximum of 1,000 acres.
Revolutionary War vets
were given land and
encouraged to settle in
Georgia.
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Austin Dabney
Headright into a mess..
Headright System ended when there were
too many claimants to land and not
enough land.
LH Assignment pg. 66
Headright Math Questions
1. You are the head of a household with a
spouse, four children, and three slaves. How
many acres of land are you entitled to?
2. You are the head of a household with a
spouse, your elderly mother and eight children.
How many acres of land are you entitled to?
3. You are the head of a household with a
spouse, four children and 15 slaves. How many
acres of land are you entitled to?
LH pg. 66-yes two on one page
Create a circle map describing the
headright system.
Use your notes and include at least 6
items that describe the headright system.
Be sure your map is neat and colorful.
The Yazoo Land Fraud - 1795
Georgia wanted to settle its western lands to
encourage economic growth.
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near the Yazoo River in what is now Mississippi.
Legislators were bribed by land companies to
sell the land below its real value.
Nearly 35 million acres were “sold” to 4 private
land companies at 2 cents/ acre
The land was then sold to civilians for huge
profits.
When the bribes were discovered the
legislators were voted out of office.
Land Sold in the Yazoo Land Fraud
The Compact of 1802
The new legislature repealed the law that had
allowed the land to be sold.
Georgia ceded the land to the U.S. government
for 1.2 million dollars.
This created Georgia’s Western border became
the Chattahoochee River.
The U.S. also agreed to remove all Indians from
Georgia when needed.
The Yazoo Land Fraud indirectly led to the Trail
of Tears.
Land Lottery 1805-1833
A series of lotteries took
place to sell land.
Ordinary Georgians could
now buy larger amounts
of land for pennies on the
dollar.
A lottery was only open
to white men, orphans,
and widows.
Land was sold on an
average at 7 cents / acre.
LH Pg. 68: Georgia’s Land Policies
Use three index cards.
Label the index cards as follows.
Headright System 1782
 Yazoo Land Fraud 1795
 Land Lottery 1805-1833
-the front of the index card should be labeled and
contain a colored picture.

Under each card place the information about
that land policy. Include results, why they
ended.. Use your own words. (do not rewrite
your notes).
The Cotton Gin- 1794
Eli Whitney was working at the Mulberry Grove
Plantation near Savannah.
He watched slaves separate seeds from the cotton by
hand.
He invented the cotton gin, a machine that could clean
cotton quickly.
Impact of the Cotton Gin
Two Negatives:
Cotton became the largest crop grown in the
South.
Made the south dependent on one crop.
In the 1900’s the Boll Weevil demolished most
of the South’s agriculture.
The Cotton Gin directly increased the number
of slaves in Georgia
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This will lead to Georgia’s support and defense
of Slavery during the Civil War
Cotton Gin Photo
Rise of Slavery in Georgia
In 1790 there were
30,000 slaves working
on coastal rice
plantations.
The land lottery
opened large areas of
the Piedmont for
agriculture.
By 1860 there were
nearly 500,000 slaves
working Georgia’s
fields.
Brainstorm
How did the Land Lottery and the
invention of the cotton Gin both lead to the
increase of the number of slaves in
Georgia
Table Graph: Cotton and Slaves
In what year was the cotton production lowest?
In what year was the cotton production highest?
In what year was the slave population lowest?
In what year was the slave population highest?
What connection can you make between Cotton
Production and Slave Population?
Is this a Direct or Indirect Relationship?
Railroads lead to expansion
Early 1800s the first railroads were built.
Railroads replaced travel by…
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Horses
Boats
Stagecoaches
Railway in Georgia
Many Georgia towns were created due to Railroads
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Atlanta
Georgia’s first railroad chartered in 1832.
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Created to transport cotton to Augusta
1840-1850 railroads spread across a lot of the
state.
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Ga Ranked top 10 for mileage
Most miles in the Deep South
Impact of the Railroad
Cotton was more easily transported. This
helped Georgia’s Economy
Cities were created around Railroad Hubs
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The center where all railroads met
Atlanta was created
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Originally Terminus, then Marthasville
Atlanta is born
Atlanta was created as a Railroad
Hub
“Terminus” = End of Line
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Connected to Chattanooga
Terminus became Marthasville in
1843 then Atlanta in 1845
Atlanta became the first major AMERICAN city to
be built without a navigable river…
Left side Assignment
page 72
How did the invention of the cotton gin and the
use of railroads in Georgia impact its growth in
the early 1800s?
Create 2 single sided flow maps...
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Impact of Railroads in Georgia
Impact of Cotton Gin In Georgia