Georgia is known as the "Peach State" and is famous for its peaches among other agricultural products. The peach first made its way to the U.S. in the 1500s from China’s Silk Road via Europe. Franciscan monks introduced peaches to St. Simons and Cumberland islands along Georgia’s coast in 1571. Once planted, the fruit flourished in Georgian soil and produced a delectably sweet strain.[1] The fruit gained popularity during the Civil War when soldiers from different states would pick peaches from the trees surrounding battlefields and were impressed by its deep flavor. The Georgian peach became renowned for its superior taste, appearance, and all-around quality.[2] Some of its most important products include peanuts, pecans, poultry, and paper products.
Georgia became the 4th state to join the Union on January 2, 1788. Georgia is the 24th largest state in terms of land area. Georgia is known for its historic sites, such as Savannah’s historic district; natural beauty like the Blue Ridge Mountains; and cultural attractions like Atlanta’s museums and music scene.[3]
Georgia’s economy ranks 9th in size among states and Washington, DC.[4] In terms of economic performance, Georgia is currently ranked 9th in the United States.[5] As of the 3rd quarter of 2023, the real GDP growth rate for Georgia was 4.5% per year.[4] Georgia is often ranked as the top state for doing business.[6]
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History of GeorgiaHistory of Georgia
It is possible that the Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, made it to the coastal reaches of the future state of Georgia by 1520.[7] Around 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto led the first European expedition explored the area that is now the state of Georgia.[8] The first European colonization was on the coast, probably near St. Catherine’s Island, and established by Lucas Vázques de Ayllón.[7]
In the 1730s, England founded the last of its colonies in North America. The settlement was led by James Oglethorpe, a former army officer. After Oglethorpe left the army, he devoted himself to helping the poor and debt-ridden people of London, whom he suggested settling in America. In 1733, a group of British debtors led by English philanthropist James E. Oglethorpe traveled up the Savannah River and established Georgia’s first permanent settlement—the town of Savannah.[9]
The trustees of the Georgia colony received funding from Parliament and a charter from the King, issued in June 1732. The charter granted the trustees the powers of a corporation; they could elect their own governing body, make land grants, and enact their own laws and taxes. The trustees placed a 500-acre limit on the size of individual land holdings.[10]
The trustees of the Georgia colony received funding from the English Parliament and a charter from the King, issued in June 1732. The charter granted the trustees the powers of a corporation; they could elect their own governing body, make land grants, and enact their own laws and taxes. The trustees placed a 500-acre limit on the size of individual land holdings. A list of the early settlers of Georgia up to 1741 is taken from a manuscript volume of the Earl of Egmont. The settlers are listed in alphabetical order, followed by their age, occupation, date of embarkation, date of arrival, lot in Savannah or in Frederica, and (where applicable) "Dead, Quitted, or Run Away".[11]
After Georgia was admitted as a state to the United States, Georgia land lotteries were an early nineteenth-century system of land redistribution in Georgia. Under this system, various categories of persons could register for a chance to win lots of land that had been appropriated by the State of Georgia or the Federal government from the Muscogee and the Cherokee Nation. The lottery system was utilized by the State of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833. Although some other states used land lotteries, none were implemented at the scale of the Georgia contests. Land lots were surveyed in five different sizes based on the perceived quality of the land. For each person subscribing to a lottery, a ticket was placed in the barrel or wheel. Since each lottery was over-subscribed, tickets were added to compensate for the over-subscription.[12]
Georgia was one of the original seven slave states that formed the Confederate States of America in February 1861, triggering the U.S. Civil War. As a defeated Confederate state, Georgia underwent Reconstruction from 1865, when the Civil War ended, until 1871, when Republican government and military occupation in the state ended.[13]
The 20th century saw social movements, global conflicts, technological advances, cultural phenomena, and economic changes in Georgia. Propelled especially by Atlanta’s progressive image and rapid economic and population growth, Georgia had by the late 20th century already pulled ahead of other states of the Deep South in terms of overall prosperity and convergence with national socioeconomic norms.[14]
Demographics of GeorgiaDemographics of Georgia
Georgia has the following demographic distribution:[15]
- White: 55.85%
- Black or African American: 31.54%
- Two or more races: 4.85%
- Asian: 4.22%
- Other race: 3.15%
- Native American: 0.33%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.06%
Most common surnames in GeorgiaMost common surnames in Georgia
According to the Forebears.io website, the ten most common names in Georgia are:
| Surname | Incidence | Fequency |
|---|---|---|
| Williams | 152,460 | 1:74 |
| Brown | 123,678 | 1:92 |
| Smith | 123,041 | 1:92 |
| Davis | 98,645 | 1:115 |
| Jones | 85,957 | 1:132 |
| Johnson | 84,782 | 1:134 |
| Wilson | 56,248 | 1:202 |
| Jackson | 50,224 | 1:226 |
| White | 50,135 | 1:226 |
| Walker | 49,046 | 1:231 |
Researching family history in GeorgiaResearching family history in Georgia
There is a branch of the National Archives in Atlanta which serves Georgia and other Southern States with federal records. The Georgia Archives has holdings that include state government records, county records, and Georgia histories. This is the best place to start family history research in Georgia. They preserve genealogies, county histories, newspapers, tax digests, private papers, church records, cemeteries, Bible records, a few municipal records, census, maps, land plats, photographs, Georgia Confederate service and pension records, colonial, headright, and bounty land grants, land lottery, and Georgia county records. The Georgia Archives also has a Virtual Vault of online records. The Georgia Historical Society has a Research Center to assist patron. There are also a number of local and county libraries and historical societies with valuable records.
Georgia county listGeorgia county list
There are 159 counties in Georgia.
Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Calhoun, Camden, Candler, Carroll, Catoosa, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Clinch, Cobb, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Douglas, Early, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Glynn, Gordon, Grady, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Hart, Heard, Henry, Houston, Irwin, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, McDuffie, McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pierce, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Quitman, Rabun, Randolph, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Spalding, Stephens, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Worth
See alsoSee also
Explore more about GeorgiaExplore more about Georgia
MyHeritage has 14 specific collections of records from the state of Georgia including a large Georgia Newspapers, 1881-2009 collection, Georgia State Employees, and Service Records of Confederate Soldiers. There are other records listed in the Georgia Collection Catalog.
References
- ↑ Why Is Georgia Known As the Peach State? | Roundabout Atlanta
- ↑ Why is Georgia called the peach state?[1]
- ↑ 17 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Georgia
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Economy of Georgia Statistics and Data Trends: GDP ranking, unemployment rate, and economic growth
- ↑ Georgia - State Economic Profile
- ↑ Report: Georgia Business Environment Receives Top Ranking | Governor Brian P. Kemp Office of the Governor
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 How and Why Was the Colony of Georgia Founded?
- ↑ New Georgia Encyclopeia - Hernando de Soto in Georgia
- ↑ Where Was The First Settlement In Georgia?
- ↑ Establishing the Georgia Colony, 1732-1750 | Colonial Settlement, 1600s - 1763 | U.S. History Primary Source Timeline | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress
- ↑ A List of the Early Settlers of Georgia
- ↑ Land Lottery System
- ↑ Reconstruction in Georgia
- ↑ Georgia | History, Flag, Facts, Maps, & Points of Interest | Britannica
- ↑ Georgia Population 2024 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)