GA Studies

1
The Revolutionary War Period

• GA Studies

2
The Call for Independence

• Objective SS8H3 The student will analyze the
  role of Georgia in the American Revolution.
• Explain the immediate and long term causes of the
  American Revolution and their impact on Georgia
  including the French Indian War (aka Seven
  Years War), Proclamation of 1763, Stamp Act,
  Intolerable Acts, and the Declaration of
  Independence.

3
The Call for Independence

• In the 15 years leading up to the Revolutionary
  War, many colonists grew tired of living under
  British rule
• Many new taxes were placed on colonists to cover
  expenses of French Indian War
• Colonies were no longer allowed to trade with any
  country other than England
• Older colonies struggled more with the new rules
  than Georgia (most of its expenses were covered
  by parliament)

4
New Taxes

• All of the colonies were unhappy with the new
  taxes imposed by Britain
• Sugar Act (tax on molasses)
• Stamp Act (all legal documents stamped)
• Liberty Boys came together to oppose it in GA
• Townshend Acts (tax on imports of glass, lead,
  paints, paper, and tea) Georgians began to
  react after this legislation was passed

5
Protests Increase

• Protests against England were more open in the
  other colonies than they were in GA
• Slogan No taxation without representation
  became popular
• People stopped painting their houses to protests
  Townshend Act
• Colonists turned to drinking coffee instead of
  tea
• Boston Massacre occurred when British soldiers
  fired into the crowd after being hit with
  snowballs (5 were killed)
• Boston Tea Prty occurred (Protest against the Tea
  Act of 1773) Todays Tea Party

6
Intolerable Acts

• To punish MA colonists after the Boston Tea
  Party, England enacted four laws known as the
  Intolerable Acts
• Port of Boston was closed
• Colonists could not meet without governor
  approval
• Criminals would be tried in British court rather
  than colonial courts
• Quartering Act

7
Reaction to Intolerable Acts

• Although these acts were aimed at MA, colonists
  from every colony (except GA) gathered to protest
  them in Philadelphia, PA
• They organized the Continental Congress
• Two distinct groups existed one who wanted to
  separate from Britain, one that wanted to
  remain with Britain, but wanted the rules to
  change
• They agreed to stop all trade with Great Britain
  to set up committees of safety (which would
  enforce the boycott)

8
Georgias Reaction A Colony Divided

• Anti-British sentiment was growing in GA, but the
  colony was heavily dependent upon Britain
• A group met to discuss their reaction to the
  Intolerable Acts, but no delegate was sent to the
  Continental Congress
• They sent a resolution to Parliament to say the
  Intolerable Acts did not agree with the Rights
  and Privileges of an Englishman

9
Objectives

• SS8H3 The student will analyze the role of
  Georgia in the American Revolution.
• Explain the immediate and long term causes of the
  American Revolution their impact on Georgia
  includingthe Declaration of Independence
• Analyze the significance of people and events in
  Georgia on the Revolutionary War to include
  Loyalists, Patriots, Elijah Clarke, Austin
  Dabney, Nancy Hart, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall,
  George Walton, Battle of Kettle Creek, and the
  siege of Savannah

10
The shot heard round the world

• The battle of Lexington Concord (in MA) was the
  first battle of the war April 1775
• It was May before news of the battle reached
  Georgia
• Georgians were now forced to take a stand on
  their feelings toward Britain
• Protests increased
• Tories were openly harassed the governor was
  ignored

11
Preparing for War

• Three weeks after the battle of Lexington
  Concord, the Second Continental Congress met
• Sent petition to King George III asking him to
  stop unfriendly steps against the colonies
• Formed Continental Army which was to be led by
  George Washington
• Georgia sent a late unofficial delegate, Lyman
  Hall (from Midway)
• The other colonies were angered at Georgia for
  its lack of support
• Some suggested the youngest colony be punished

12
Georgia takes action

• A Provincial Congress met and decided the colony
  should send representatives to Second Continental
  Congress
• Lyman Hall, Archibald Bulloch, John Houstoun,
  Noble Wimberly Jones, Rev. John Zubly
• Delegates were instructed to vote as they thought
  best for the common good of Georgians

13
New Georgia Government

• Council of Safety met to prepare to form a new
  government
• They officially withdrew from Great Britain which
  left Gov. Wright with no power
• Wright was arrested by Patriots when he tried to
  convince the colony to allow Britain to buy
  supplies from them
• Wright later escaped and left Georgia leaving the
  Council of Safety to govern
• Council issued Rules Regulations which were
  to be used to govern until a more permanent
  document could be created

14
The Declaration of Independence

• In January of 1776, Thomas Paines Common Sense
  urged colonists to separate from Great Britain
• By the end of the year, 500,000 copies were sold
• His writings influenced colonial thought the
  Second Continental Congress
• July 4, 1776 Second Continental Congress
  approved the Declaration of Independence
• Written mostly by Thomas Jefferson
• 3 parts
• Preamble (Introduction)
• Body (27 grievances against King George III
  government)
• Conclusion (Declared the colonies to be an
  independent nation for all future times)
• Three Georgians signed
• Lyman Hall
• Button Gwinnett
• George Walton

15
Reaction to Declaration

• Declaration meant that the colonies were one
  nation
• Most in Georgia were excited by the Declaration
  of Independence, but some returned to England
• Georgians began to prepare for war
• Sent food ammunition to the Continental Army
• Began to strengthen Georgia militia

16
Political Changes in Georgia

• Georgias (other colonies) new goal was
  statehood
• This meant a new method of government must be
  decided
• Work was begun on a new constitution
• Some wanted government to remain in control of
  wealthy landowners
• Some (Whigs) wanted everyone to have a chance to
  govern themselves
• Whigs won new government was to based upon
• the separation of powers
• the rights of citizens to agree with how they
  were governed

17
Constitution of Georgia

• May 1777-first state constitution was adopted in
  Savannah
• Eight counties were formed to replace parish
  system
• New constitution replaced bi-cameral legislature
  with unicameral legislature
• Powers of the governor were extremely limited
• One-year terms
• Selected by legislature instead of people
• This left the 12 member executive council with
  most of the power (they could accept or reject
  any governor proposal)
• John Treutlen, a Salzburger, was the first state
  governor

18
Articles of Confederation

• First constitution of United States (1781)
• Ratified by Georgia in 1778

19
Revolutionary War in Georgia

• 1777 1778 Georgian members of Continental
  Army tried unsuccessfully to take over British
  controlled St. Augustine parts of east Florida
• December 1778 British troops attacked and took
  control of Savannah
• January 1779 British troops took over port of
  Sunbury
• Georgias army was understaffed and poorly armed
  there was little they could do to stop the
  British
• Georgia was again under British military rule
• Governor Wright returned to take charge

20
Battle of Kettle Creek

• Morale in the colonies was low
• February 1779 Georgia finally had a victory
• Rebel group led by Colonel Elijah Clarke defeated
  a force of more than 800 troops at the Battle of
  Kettle Creek
• This battle was a minor one, but very important
  to GA
• Gave the troops much needed weapons horses from
  British soldiers
• Improved morale of militia

21
Siege of Savannah

• September 1779 4,000 French troops joined
  American forces to lay siege to Savannah
• October 1779 American French troops attacked
  British positions
• Attack failed
• Over 1,000 American French forces were killed
• Savannah was to remain in British hands for 3 ½
  more years

22
Nancy Hart

• Georgias most famous war heroine
• In 1771, Harts neighbor, John Dooley, was
  murdered by Tories
• A few days later, five Tories stopped by Mrs.
  Harts house demanded she feed them dinner
• She overheard them bragging about the murder
• She gave them whiskey to drink and sent her
  daughters to get help
• As she served them, Nancy Hart quietly took their
  rifles
• One of the men noticed when she took the third
  rifle
• When they went after her, Mrs. Hart shot one of
  the men took another rifle and held the rest at
  gunpoint until help arrived
• The rest of the Tories were eventually put on
  trial and hanged

23
Battle of Yorktown

• George Washington the Continental Army received
  help from the French to win this battle
• French forces delayed the arrival of ships
  carrying 6,000 British troops to Yorktown, VA
• American forces won the battle and General
  Cornwallis of Britain was forced to surrender
• By 1782, British forces in Savannah believed they
  could not defeat the Americans and left
• The Treaty of Paris was signed by Great Britain,
  France, and the United States in September1783
• Independence was a reality!

24
Blacks in the American Revolution

• One of the men who fought alongside Elijah Clarke
  in the Battle of Kettle Creek was Austin Dabney
  (freeborn mulatto)
• He had come from North Carolina with a man who
  did not want to serve in the militia, so he
  recommended Dabney serve in his place
• Dabney served honorably and was wounded in battle
• After the war, veterans were given land to repay
  them for their service
• Some did not want Dabney to receive the land, but
  he eventually did and made the land very
  profitable

25
Blacks in the Revolutionary War

• Other blacks served in the War
• Virginia proposed freeing all slaves who were
  willing to fight
• Some people, fearing slave rebellion, were afraid
  to arm slaves
• Georgia South Carolina were the only two states
  to refuse to legalize slave enlistments
• After the war, antislavery sentiment mounted
• Many blacks were given freedom land after the
  war
• In the south, the decline of crops made farmers
  reluctant to free their slaves

26
Looking Back at the Revolution

• Clearly Britain began the war at an advantage
• Strong central government
• Better, more professional army
• Strong Navy
• Well-financed
• Divided loyalty of colonists
• The colonists had a few advantages, but they
  could not be overcome by England
• Fighting on their home soil
• British were far from home (difficulty getting
  supplies)
• No central area that could be captured (spread
  out)
• Battle areas were forests swamps unfamiliar to
  British