Georgia: The Empire State of the South

Georgia: The Empire State of the South — page 1 — 4 GEORGIA INTRODUCTION Georgia is known as the Empire State of the South This nickname refers to Georgia’s role as the center of agricultural and industrial development in the South The state was once the cotton capital of the nation and cotton production is still one of its main industries In Georgia’s early days plantation owners were known for their wealth and their fine Southern manners Early Georgians were proud and friendly people a tradition that continues today Georgia’s landscape is a dramatic combination of swamplands beaches mountains and plains Built for the 1996 Olympic Games Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park features a water fountain shaped like the five Olympic rings The state is decorated with moss-covered trees colorful magnolias and majestic pines In fact the expression tall as a Georgia pine came from the state’s giant pine trees The Reynolds Mansion like many other plantation homes in Georgia is rich in Southern history Built between 1807 and 1810 it represents the success of the slavery-driven sugarcane and cotton industries Georgia’s state flower the Cherokee rose has a legend attached to it Cherokee mothers wept when settlers forced them off their land The legend claims that a rose grew wherever their tears had fallen The design of Georgia’s state flag has changed repeatedly over time The current flag is based on the first flag of the Confederate states during the Civil War with the addition of the state coat of arms The design was adopted on May 8 2003 The right whale is Georgia’s state marine mammal This endangered creature can grow up to 60 feet in length and is the only great whale that is native to Georgia’s coastal waters

Georgia: The Empire State of the South — page 2 — INTRODUCTION 5 Georgia is located in the Deep South of the United States The southeastern corner of the state skims the Atlantic Ocean with several islands located just offshore Georgia is bordered by Florida to the south Alabama to the west Tennessee and North Carolina to the north and South Carolina to the east Georgia is home to more than 100 commercial airports with the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport serving as the state’s main hub The Atlanta airport ranks among the busiest in the country and in the entire world Georgia also has many roads railroads and highways that allow easy access to this charming state On average more than 2,400 flights depart and arrive daily at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Georgia Location Map The Savannah River forms Georgia’s eastern boundary with South Carolina The Chattahoochee River forms part of the state’s western boundary with Alabama As a result of its large peanut industry Georgia has earned the nickname the Goober State In Georgia goober is another word for peanut Georgia’s state wildflower is the azalea This colorful flower can be found across the state Capital Atlanta Interstate highways Scale 0 0 30 48 60 97 Mi Km Population 8,186,453 Size 58,977 square miles Highest peak Brasstown Bald 4,784 feet

Georgia: The Empire State of the South — page 3 — 6 GEORGIA The colony of Georgia was founded in 1733 and was named after Great Britain’s King George II Georgians were among the first to sign the Declaration of Independence On Jan 2 1788 Georgia became a state It was the first Southern state to join the Union Georgia’s history of Southern generosity is offset by its long history of slavery and its economic decline during the American Civil War Many white Georgians believed that they had the right to own slaves On Jan 19 1861 Georgians voted to secede from the Union and join other Southern states to form the Confederate States of America Georgia suffered enormously during the Civil War and many Georgians were killed or imprisoned In November 1864 Union soldiers set fire to Atlanta and destroyed the countryside during the March to the Sea While the Civil War put an end to slavery in Georgia it also severely damaged the state’s economy It was decades before Georgia’s economy and spirit strengthened again Southern homes combine various architectural styles including covered balconies French doors and Greek columns During the American Civil War Georgia was one of the main providers of food weapons and other supplies for the Confederate Army Until 1864 Georgia was a principle provider of food arms and other supplies for the South in the American Civil War Georgia’s official state song is Georgia on My Mind a song popularized by singer Ray Charles Hoagy Carmichael composed the tune and Stuart Gorrell wrote the words Quartz was chosen as the official state gem in 1976 Quartz comes in a variety of colors and can be found throughout the state The state motto Wisdom Justice and Moderation has been in use since 1798 Georgia was one of the original 13 British colonies in America It was the fourth state to join the Union

Georgia: The Empire State of the South — page 4 — INTRODUCTION 7 In the second half of the 20th century African Americans in Georgia and throughout the country began to demand equal treatment They wanted to end segregation which kept African Americans separate from the white population and prevented them from using the same public places such as schools and restaurants The civil rights movement of the 1960s sought to bring equal rights to African Americans Atlanta was at the heart of this movement Martin Luther King Jr urged African Americans to work for equal rights in a firm but peaceful manner After much effort the movement helped lessen racial inequality in the United States Atlanta is often described as a horizontal city Since it has few natural or economic barriers to prevent its outward growth it has expanded outward instead of upward When Abraham Lincoln became president Georgia declared itself a free republic and left the Union Many Georgians didn’t believe that the president had the power to outlaw slavery Georgia was readmitted to the Union in 1870 The state insect is the honeybee Georgia also has a state butterfly the tiger swallowtail The 2000 census found that some 8 2 million people call Georgia home Atlanta is Georgia’s largest city and also its state capital It is the state’s financial industrial and transportation center It is considered to be the business capital of the southeastern United States Martin Luther King Jr was born in Sweet Auburn the African American center of Atlanta It was there that he developed a passion for equality and tolerance

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