# 1962 - 1982 20c State Birds and Flowers: Georgia
20¢ Georgia
State Birds and Flowers
City: Washington, DC and state capitals
Quantity: 13,339,000 panes
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: 10.5 x 11.25
Color: Multicolored
Georgia Becomes 4th State
The first human inhabitants of Georgia were the Mound Builders, a prehistoric Native American tribe. Over time, the Creek tribe settled in the South and the Cherokee in the North.
The first European to explore was probably Hernando de Soto of Spain. He crossed the region on a trip from Florida to the Mississippi River in 1540. Spain, France, and England all claimed the southeastern portion of North America as part of their territory, but it was a group of Englishmen who planned the first colony there in 1730. They named it Georgia, in honor of King George II.
The English used Georgia as a means of conducting illegal trade with Spain’s colonies in the West Indies. The two countries also disputed the proper boundary between Georgia and Florida. These conflicts led to the outbreak of war in 1739. Oglethorpe attempted to conquer Florida but failed. In 1742, Oglethorpe’s troops crushed a Spanish force landing at St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, in the Battle of Bloody Marsh. This victory ended the fighting in America, although the war continued in Europe.
King George made Georgia a royal province in 1754. Despite its prosperity, Georgia became involved in the movement for independence that was flourishing in other colonies. In 1775, when the Revolutionary War broke out in Massachusetts, support for independence solidified, and Georgia’s patriots seized power. Georgian forces first fought British troops in March 1776, when a British warship attempted to seize 11 rice boats in Savannah. Only two of the ships were captured. On July 24, 1778, Georgia ratified the Articles of Confederation.
In December 1778, the British captured Savannah. American forces, supported by the French Navy, attempted to liberate the city but failed. By the end of 1779, the British controlled the entire state except for Wilkes County. The British were finally driven from Georgia in 1782. The War for Independence ended in 1783.
The federal government also worked to remove all of the Native Americans from Georgia. In 1827, the Cherokee Indians sold the last of their lands to the US Federal troops forced the last remaining Cherokee Indians to move to reservation land in Oklahoma in 1838. Settlers quickly cleared the Indian land for farming, especially for growing cotton. By 1840, an extensive railroad system had developed through the state to transport people and agricultural products.
However, the war quickly turned against Georgia. Union troops, commanded by General William T. Sherman, captured the city of Atlanta in September 1863. In November, they burned the city and began the legendary “march to the sea.” Sherman’s forces marched toward Savannah, devastating everything they came across. As they cut a 60-mile-wide path through the state, destroying factories, mills, railroads, and other public buildings, they destroyed about $100 million in property. Largely unopposed, General Sherman captured Savannah in December 1864.
From the 1870s until the Great Depression (1929-1942), Georgia experienced economic growth. This period was marked by increases in manufacturing, trade, and banking, as well as railroad construction. With the start of World War II (1939-1945), Georgia’s economy resumed its industrial expansion. Large numbers of farmers and agricultural workers took factory jobs in the cities. The majority of these workers stayed in the cities after the war ended. By 1950, the United States census revealed that more Georgians worked in manufacturing than agriculture. In 1960, the census determined that the majority of Georgians lived in urban areas. The state continues to thrive economically. And like many states, it has been forced to deal with overcrowded cities, increased pollution, and racial tensions.
Black leaders have also made progress in Georgia. In 1965, black civil-rights leader Julian Bond was elected to the Georgia legislature. Other legislators denied Bond his seat, but in 1966 the US Supreme Court ruled in Bond’s favor. In 1973, Maynard H. Jackson, Jr., was elected mayor of Atlanta, making him the first black mayor of a large Southern city.
20¢ Georgia
State Birds and Flowers
City: Washington, DC and state capitals
Quantity: 13,339,000 panes
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: 10.5 x 11.25
Color: Multicolored
Georgia Becomes 4th State
The first human inhabitants of Georgia were the Mound Builders, a prehistoric Native American tribe. Over time, the Creek tribe settled in the South and the Cherokee in the North.
The first European to explore was probably Hernando de Soto of Spain. He crossed the region on a trip from Florida to the Mississippi River in 1540. Spain, France, and England all claimed the southeastern portion of North America as part of their territory, but it was a group of Englishmen who planned the first colony there in 1730. They named it Georgia, in honor of King George II.
The English used Georgia as a means of conducting illegal trade with Spain’s colonies in the West Indies. The two countries also disputed the proper boundary between Georgia and Florida. These conflicts led to the outbreak of war in 1739. Oglethorpe attempted to conquer Florida but failed. In 1742, Oglethorpe’s troops crushed a Spanish force landing at St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, in the Battle of Bloody Marsh. This victory ended the fighting in America, although the war continued in Europe.
King George made Georgia a royal province in 1754. Despite its prosperity, Georgia became involved in the movement for independence that was flourishing in other colonies. In 1775, when the Revolutionary War broke out in Massachusetts, support for independence solidified, and Georgia’s patriots seized power. Georgian forces first fought British troops in March 1776, when a British warship attempted to seize 11 rice boats in Savannah. Only two of the ships were captured. On July 24, 1778, Georgia ratified the Articles of Confederation.
In December 1778, the British captured Savannah. American forces, supported by the French Navy, attempted to liberate the city but failed. By the end of 1779, the British controlled the entire state except for Wilkes County. The British were finally driven from Georgia in 1782. The War for Independence ended in 1783.
The federal government also worked to remove all of the Native Americans from Georgia. In 1827, the Cherokee Indians sold the last of their lands to the US Federal troops forced the last remaining Cherokee Indians to move to reservation land in Oklahoma in 1838. Settlers quickly cleared the Indian land for farming, especially for growing cotton. By 1840, an extensive railroad system had developed through the state to transport people and agricultural products.
However, the war quickly turned against Georgia. Union troops, commanded by General William T. Sherman, captured the city of Atlanta in September 1863. In November, they burned the city and began the legendary “march to the sea.” Sherman’s forces marched toward Savannah, devastating everything they came across. As they cut a 60-mile-wide path through the state, destroying factories, mills, railroads, and other public buildings, they destroyed about $100 million in property. Largely unopposed, General Sherman captured Savannah in December 1864.
From the 1870s until the Great Depression (1929-1942), Georgia experienced economic growth. This period was marked by increases in manufacturing, trade, and banking, as well as railroad construction. With the start of World War II (1939-1945), Georgia’s economy resumed its industrial expansion. Large numbers of farmers and agricultural workers took factory jobs in the cities. The majority of these workers stayed in the cities after the war ended. By 1950, the United States census revealed that more Georgians worked in manufacturing than agriculture. In 1960, the census determined that the majority of Georgians lived in urban areas. The state continues to thrive economically. And like many states, it has been forced to deal with overcrowded cities, increased pollution, and racial tensions.
Black leaders have also made progress in Georgia. In 1965, black civil-rights leader Julian Bond was elected to the Georgia legislature. Other legislators denied Bond his seat, but in 1966 the US Supreme Court ruled in Bond’s favor. In 1973, Maynard H. Jackson, Jr., was elected mayor of Atlanta, making him the first black mayor of a large Southern city.