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Georgia History and Facts
Georgia, founded in 1733, was the last of the original American 13 colonies that became the United States. It was the first southern state to sign the Constitution in 1788, becoming the 4th State to join the Union.
Georgia grew slowly, but by the 1860s it became one of the richest states in the South with an economy based on rice and cotton. The Civil War was soon to come, devastating the state.The war ended slavery and the plantation system of farming, leading to a post-war economy based on a tenant farming system.
The crops remained the same but without the vast riches of the pre-war period. Georgia remained poor and was further hurt by the boll weevil insect that devastated the crops during the Depression. It was not until the 1950s that industrial output began to grow and Georgia's poverty began to abate. By the 1960s Georgia's industrial output was greater than its agricultural production. Today, its largest city, Atlanta, is a key economic center in the state and in the U.S.
Georgia was named after the King of England, King George II. The state has had many nicknames, including the "Buzzard State" because of a law it enacted to protect the predatory birds. Today it is known as the Peach State because of its big peach crop. Georgians even display a peach on their license plates.
The state totals some 58,900+ square miles with more than 1,000 square miles of inland water (lakes and rivers). It is the 24th largest state and has an average elevation of 600 feet.
Georgia economic information is available, including a statistical abstract of the state and links to federal statistical information. The Federal Reserve has lots of valuable statistical information.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia includes information about people, places, events, institutions and many other topics relating to Georgia.
Read more about Georgia and the state's flag, seal, symbols and songs at the state's Web site or the 50States Web site.
Fort Benning History
Fort Benning was built in 1918 as the home of the United States Infantry School. It covers some 180,000 acres and is home to approximately 20,000 military personnel.
Native American Indians known as the Mississippians occupied the area from about 900 to 1550 A.D. The Spanish explorers invaded the area in the mid-16th century with disastrous impact on the native American Indians. James Oglethorpe was the British governor of the colony established in the early 1700s and named Georgia after King George II.
Early settlers found their way into the Fort Benning area by following an Indian foot trail. Later, this trail was widened and became known as the Federal Road. The road was used by the Army in the early 1800s as it moved through the area removing Indians to make way for settlers. Early settlers were largely self-sufficient, growing crops of corn, cotton and wheat.
The Fort Benning area grew prosperous in the 1800s, along with the rest of Georgia based on thriving cotton and rice crops. It was severely impacted by the Civil War. However, with the establishment of the fort in 1918, the area began to build a sound economic base.
Today, Fort Benning boasts a proud heritage. Soldiers trained there have participated in every major United States military conflict since World War I. The Main Post Complex has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places and General George S. Patton's former headquarters has been moved to the grounds of the National Infantry Museum for restoration.
Learn more about Fort Benning.
Columbus History
The city was officially created by the state legislature in 1828, although the community on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in Muscogee County had been actively settled for some time.
Camp Benning--later Ft. Benning--was established in 1918, giving the area another permanent "industry." However, the city really came into its own beginning in the 1960s, when it began diversifying its economy and started actively pursuing some cultural and economic initiatives.
Read more about Columbus from The New Georgia Encyclopedia. |
