Section4The RevolutionaryWar PeriodIt took a long time for news to get around the colonies, so it was May beforeword reached Georgia of the battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachu-setts on April 19, 1775. Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson described those battles as“Here once the embattled farmers stood/And fired the shot heard round theworld.” The battles marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War and forcedGeorgians to take a stand. In just a few days, a group of radicals broke into theroyal arms storehouse in Savannah and stole 600 pounds of gunpowder.

Other protests followed quickly. Gunpowder used to fire cannon saluteson the king’s birthday was tampered with and would not explode. A libertypole was put up outside Tondee’s Tavern. Tories were openly harassed. Gunswere stolen from public warehouses, and no one paid any attention to whatthe governor said.

In September 1775, Georgia’s Joseph Habersham and Captain OliverBowen captured a British schooner carrying gunpowder. Georgia kept 9,000pounds and sent 5,000 pounds to thenewly formed Continental Army.

Preparing for WarThree weeks after the battles at

Lexington and Concord, the SecondContinental Congress opened inPhiladelphia. One of the early decisionsmade by the Congress was to send apetition to King George III, asking himto not take further unfriendly stepsagainst the colonies. The king refusedthe petition. At the same time, the Con-gress also called for the creation of aContinental Army, which was to be ledby George Washington of Virginia.

Georgia was absent for the first fewdays, but on May 13, 1775, Lyman Hallof Midway arrived in an unofficial ca-pacity. The other colonies were furiouswith Georgia because it did not seemvery supportive. Some members of theCongress even called for punishing theyoungest colony.

Very shortly, however, Georgia was ready to act. In July 1775, a secondProvincial Congress was held at Tondee’s Tavern in Savannah. Unlike the

As you read, look for:• the steps taken by Georgiaand Georgians before theAmerican Revolution,• the Declaration of Indepen-dence,• the new governmentestablished by Georgia,• Georgia’s role in theAmerican Revolution, and• vocabulary terms: SecondContinental Congress,Declaration of Independence,ratify, Articles of Confederation,siege, and Treaty of Paris(1783).

Section PreviewSection PreviewSection4

About one-third of the colonists remained loyal to Great Britain, andmany of those lived in Georgia. Their reasons for staying loyal to GreatBritain were as varied as the people themselves.

• Some believed that since the British king was still paying money tosupport the colonies, he had the right to rule them.

• Some believed that the British had founded the colonies and hadthe right to govern them.

• Many colonists still had family or relatives in Great Britain, and theydid not want to put them in danger or to cause them to lose the “perks”of royal approval. Some colonists even split their families by sendingsome members of the family back to Great Britain.

• Some colonists feared that life under the control of rich Patriotswould be even harder than life under the control of the British.

• Finally, some colonists were simply afraid of the well-organized, well-equipped British soldiers.

Figure 15 The Tories

Section 4: The Revolutionary War Period 153

First Provincial Congress, this group was prepared to take positive steps. Inaddition to Lyman Hall, four others, all from Savannah, were chosen to goPhiladelphia. In the group were Archibald Bulloch, John Houstoun, NobleWimberly Jones, and Reverend John Zubly. The delegates were given nospecific instructions to relay to the Continental Congress. Instead, they wereasked to vote as they thought best for the common good of all Georgians.Finally, Georgia was ready to join ranks with the other colonies.

Earlier, shortly after the first shots had been fired at the battles of Lex-ington and Concord, a Council of Safety had met and prepared to form anew government. To show they meant what they said, the group officiallywithdrew from Great Britain. In so doing, the Patriots left Governor Wrightwithout power. Wright was arrested in mid-January of 1776 by the LibertyBoys when he asked the Council of Safety to allow British vessels to pur-chase supplies from the colony. A month later, Wright escaped and fled toa waiting British warship, leavingthe Council of Safety to govern thecolony. In the following April, theGeorgia Provincial Congress issueda series of guidelines, called “Rulesand Regulations,” which were to beused in governing Georgia until amore permanent document couldbe drawn up.

Top: One of the first battles ofthe Revolutionary War wasfought at Concord, Massachu-setts in April 1775. Above:Lyman Hall was declared an“enemy of the crown” aftersigning the Declaration ofIndependence.

154 Chapter 5: From Royalty to Independence ?Did You Know?Did You Know?

Patriots in Massachusettswere called “minutemen”

because they could be readyto fight in a minute.

Top: George Walton, signer ofthe Declaration of Indepen-dence. Above: John Treutlen,Georgia’s first governor.

The Declaration of IndependenceIn January 1776, Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common

Sense appeared. In it, Paine urged the colonists to separatefrom Great Britain in language all people could understand.The pamphlet was a sensation and sold 120,000 copies inless than three months. By the end of the year, it had sold500,000 copies. Paine quickly followed Common Sense witha series of pamphlets. In The Crisis, Paine wrote, “These arethe times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and thesunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the serviceof their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the loveand thanks of man and woman.” Paine had a great deal ofinfluence on the actions of the Second Continental Con-gress. John Adams said, “Without the pen of Paine, thesword of Washington would have been wielded in vain.”

On July 4, 1776, over a year after the battles of Lexing-ton and Concord, the Second Continental Congressapproved the Declaration of Independence. When it wasofficially signed on August 2, 1776, the names of threeGeorgians—Lyman Hall, George Walton, and ButtonGwinnett—appeared on the left side of the document, rightbelow the signature of John Hancock. But it was over amonth before Georgians found out how their representa-tives had voted or even what the Declaration said.

The 1,458-word document, written primarily byThomas Jefferson, can be divided into three parts. ThePreamble, or introduction, stated how the colonists feltabout democracy. The second part, or body, listed twenty-seven grievances (complaints) against King George III andhis government that led the colonists to seek indepen-dence from Great Britain. The third part, the conclusion,declared the colonies to be an independent nation for allfuture times.

The Declaration meant that the colonies we were onenation, still not in total agreement, but one nation never-theless. When the Declaration of Independence was readin Georgia, it produced great excitement, although somecolonists decided to return to Great Britain. Finally, Geor-gians began to prepare for war. They sent food and ammu-nition to the Continental Army and began to strengthenthe home militia.

Political Changes in GeorgiaGeorgia joined the other colonies in celebrating the decision to become

independent of Great Britain. The former colonies were tired of being gov-erned and living under laws made by Great Britain, which they believed wasboth out of touch and too far away to understand their needs. The new goal

Section 4: The Revolutionary War Period 155

for each colony was statehood. Eachnew state was to develop its ownmethod of governance and pass lawsthat met its needs.

Work was begun on a state con-stitution to replace the earlier “Rulesand Regulations.” Writing the newconstitution was not easy. Some citi-zens wanted a government like theone already in place, with most ofthe power in the hands of a fewwealthy landowners and merchants.The Whigs, a more extreme group,wanted to give all the people ofGeorgia a chance to govern them-

selves. The Whigs won, and Geor-gia decided on a governmentthat would be based on the sepa-ration of powers and the rights ofcitizens to agree with how theywere governed.

By May 1777, Georgia adop-ted its first state constitution at aconstitutional convention heldin Savannah. The parish systemwas done away with, and eightcounties were formed. Burke,Camden, Chatham, Effingham,Glynn, Richmond, and Wilkeswere named for British subjectswho had been in favor of theRevolution; Liberty County wasnamed in honor of American

independence. Liberty is the character word for this chapter. What were theliberties that the young colonies wanted to secure for themselves?

However well meaning the lawmakers were in developing the 1777 con-stitution, there were problems. Rather than a bicameral legislature, the con-stitution of 1777 provided for a unicameral, or one-house, legislature. Thissingle legislative body had very broad powers, including the ability to makeappointments for the judicial branch (the courts) and the executive branch(the governor).

Stung by the loyalty of former governors to the king, the members of theconstitutional convention wanted to limit severely the influence and powerof the governor. They proposed a one-year term for the governor. The gover-nor was to be selected by the legislature rather than voted on by the people.The actual power, therefore, was in the hands of twelve lawmakers from thelegislature who served as an executive council. The executive council could

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History by the NumbersHistory by the Numbers

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The Dunlap BroadsideThe Dunlap Broadside

156 Chapter 5: From Royalty to Independence

On the night of July 4, 1776, John Dunlap printed an unknown numberof copies of the Declaration of Independence. Each document, called abroadside, was about 14 inches by 18 inches. Only 25 of those copiesare known to exist.

On July 19, 1776, the Continental Congress ordered another printer,Timothy Matlack, to engross (print in final, legal form) the Declarationof Independence. Members of Congress who were present in Philadel-phia signed the engrossed copy on August 2, 1776. Other members ofCongress signed later. The signed, engrossed copy of the Declarationof Independence, which is 241/2

inches by 291/2 inches, is on per-manent exhibit at the NationalArchives in Washington, D.C.

In 1989, a man bought apainting at a flea market for $4.Hidden in the painting’s framewas an original Dunlap broadsideof the Declaration of Indepen-dence. It was the 25th knowncopy of the document. It recentlysold for $8.14 million, the high-est price ever paid for an objectsold at an Internet auction.

Map 25Georgia’s FirstCounties

Map Skill: In which countyis Savannah located?

accept or reject any proposals initiated by the governor. Theconstitutional convention selected John Treutlen, a Salzburger,as the first state governor over Button Gwinnett. It also adopteda new state seal.

Although the constitution of 1777 was changed in 1789, thisfirst endeavor in providing for state’s rights was an importantstep in Georgia’s development.

On July 4, 1778, Georgians ratified (approved) the Articlesof Confederation, which was the first constitution of theUnited States of America. The Articles did not go into effectuntil January 1781, when Virginia and Maryland ratified it.

The Revolutionary War in GeorgiaDuring 1777 and 1778, Georgian members of the Conti-

nental Army made several unsuccessful attempts to captureBritish-held St. Augustine and parts of east Florida. Little otherfighting took place in Georgia. In December 1778, however,British troops attacked and took control of Savannah. Soonthere were reports of looting, burnings, and even murders atthe hands of British troops as they tried to force Tories to put down their

arms or flee the area. A month later,the British took the port of Sunbury.Before long, Augusta was under firefrom British guns.

In all three cases, the poorlyarmed and understaffed Georgiamilitia could do little to stop theBritish. Georgia was once again un-der British military rule, and Gover-nor Wright returned to Georgia totake charge of the government.

The Battle of Kettle CreekMorale throughout the colonies

was at an all-time low. Finally, in Feb-ruary 1779, Georgia had a victory. Arebel militia group led by ColonelElijah Clarke (after whom ClarkeCounty is named) defeated a force ofmore than 800 British troops at theBattle of Kettle Creek, about eightmiles from Washington, Georgia.

The Battle of Kettle Creek was mi-nor when compared to those foughtin other parts of the country. It was,however, important to Georgia. Themilitia was able to take badly needed

Did You Know?Did You Know?

Cherokee Lands

Creek Lands

Wilkes

Richmond

Burke

Effington

Liberty

Chatham

Glynn

Camden

• Augusta

•Savannah

Section 4: The Revolutionary War Period 157

?George Walton, at age

twenty-six, was the youngestsigner of the Declaration of

Independence. An autographof Button Gwinnett (below) isone of the most sought-aftercollector’s autographs in theworld. Today, it is valued at

over $250,000.

Below: This French map,drawn in 1779, illustrates theFrench plans for the siege ofSavannah. This battle markedthe first time that Americanand French troops foughttogether. One of the heroesof the siege was SergeantWilliam Jasper.

weapons and horses from the Britishsoldiers, and the spirits of the Geor-gia militia were lifted by their victory.

The Siege of SavannahIn early September 1779, twenty-

two French ships and 4,000 soldiersunder the command of CharlesHenri Comte d’Estaing arrived offTybee Island. Those troops joinedabout 15,000 Americans under thecommand of General Benjamin Lincoln. The combined armies laid siege toSavannah. A siege occurs when forces try to capture a fortified fort or townby surrounding it and preventing any supplies from reaching it.

Finally, at daybreak on October 9, the American and French troops attackedBritish positions. The attack, which lasted only 45 minutes, failed. By thetime it was over, more than 1,000 men with the American forces (821 ofwhom were French) and 40 British lay dead. Over 600 men were wounded.One of America’s best foreign patriots, Polish Count Casimir Pulaski, hadgiven his life for a country not his own. And, Savannah was set to remain inBritish hands for the next 31/2 years.

158 Chapter 5: From Royalty to Independence

?Did You Know?Did You Know?

The colonists who haduniforms in the new

Continental Army wore bluebecause indigo, grown in theSouthern Colonies, was the

only color available.

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★American SpotlightAmerican Spotlight

The Revolutionary War produceda number of heroes and heroines. Oneof those was a woman who was Georgia’s mostfamous war heroine.

Around 1771, Benjamin and Nancy Hart and their eightchildren settled twelve miles outside of what we now callElberton. Several legends surround Nancy Hart. Probablythe most repeated one concerns Colonel John Dooley, aneighbor of the Harts who was killed by Tories. A few daysafter Dooley’s murder, five of those Tories stopped byNancy’s home and demanded that she cook dinner for them.As the men talked, Nancy overheard them bragging aboutthe murder.

Thinking quickly, Nancy brought out a jug of whiskey andoffered it to the men. As they drank, they did not noticeNancy motioning to her daughters to go to the woods andsound the alarm for help. Enjoying their drink and food, they

Nancy HartNancy Hart

also did not realize that Nancy wasquietly taking their rifles as sheserved them.

When Nancy pulled the thirdrifle away, one of the men finallynoticed. As the men rushed her.Nancy calmly pulled the trigger

and killed one of them. She grabbed asecond rifle and held the other soldiers at gunpoint untilhelp arrived. Some reports say she may have killed two ofthe soldiers; in any event, the rest were soon put on trialand hanged.

We may never know if the stories of Nancy Hart’s cour-age are true. However, the legend of Nancy Hart remainsas an example of the revolutionary spirit of Georgia. HartCounty and its county seat, Hartwell, located in northeastGeorgia, are named for her. Hart is the only county in Geor-gia named for a woman.

Section 4: The Revolutionary War Period 159

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¢Spotlight on the EconomySpotlight on the Economy

Financing the AmericanRevolution

Financing the AmericanRevolution

How did the newly formedUnited States of America man-age to find the funds to pay forits war against Great Britain?

In 1775, as the ContinentalCongress began making plans forwar, it decided to print and issuepaper money called “Continen-tals” to pay for war materials,supplies, and soldiers’ salaries.But by 1778, the nation faced se-rious economic problems. TheContinentals were worthless be-cause there was nothing (gold orsilver) to back them up. To com-plicate the economic situation,each state began to print its ownpaper money. By 1780, the newnation had printed over $241 mil-lion Continentals, and the indi-vidual states had issued almost $210 million of their ownpaper notes. Congress realized that the Continentals wereof little value and tried to take them out of circulation. Italso began to collect taxes to help pay off some of its loans.

Loans and gifts from foreign countries helped the UnitedStates obtain the weapons, ammunition, and supplies itneeded. Most of the loans were arranged by Robert Mor-ris, a delegate to the Continental Congress who becamespecial commissioner of finance in 1776. In 1781, Morrisdeveloped a plan for a national bank, the Bank of NorthAmerica, to stabilize the economy and establish the creditof the new nation with the nations of Europe.

But Robert Morris was not alone in finding funds for thenew nation. He was greatly helped by Haym Salomon.Salomon was a wealthy, successful businessman describedas a “Broker to the Office of Finance,” which meant that

he helped the new governmentobtain loans from European na-tions, banks, and merchants.Because he was a trusted busi-nessman, European bankerswould loan money to Salomonwhen they had refused to loanit to Congress. Both Morris andSalomon gave their own per-sonal fortunes to support theRevolution.

Under the new Bank of NorthAmerica, there was some rela-tionship between the country’ssupply of gold and silver and itspaper notes. As head of the Bankof North America, Morris issuedtreasury notes, called “Morrisnotes,” that could be redeemedfor hard currency. Congress also

began to issue a new type of paper note that paid interestand that could be turned in for hard currency after a five-yearperiod. The new government used the paper notes, the in-terest notes, and the treasury notes to pay for its revolution.

After the war, Alexander Hamilton became the financialplanner for the new government. The new nation had accu-mulated almost $78 million in debts from the war, and itneeded about $4 million to operate its new government.However, the country’s income was very limited. The UnitedStates earned about $4.4 million in tariffs (taxes) on goodsand about $19,000 from other sources for a total federalincome of $4,418,000. The young nation began its life undera system of deficit spending, owing and spending morethan was available. It is a system we understand well to-day. In 2001, for example, the federal government cost $1.8trillion to operate.

Above: Pennsylvanian Robert Morris

160 Chapter 5: From Royalty to Independence

Georgia was left in the hands of two governments, one royal and one rebel.Each government tried to take charge of the state, but neither was very ef-fective. Some Georgians openly supported the king, while others just asopenly supported the cause of independence. The major battles of the warwere over, but guerrilla warfare—both political and military—continued inthe backcountry of Georgia.

The Battle of YorktownIn June 1781, Georgia’s militia was again under the command of Colonel

Clarke. With the help of Continental troops, Clarke took Augusta from theBritish. General George Washington, the commander of the ContinentalArmy, was helped by French forces when he faced British General LordCornwallis in October 1781, at the Battle of Yorktown, Virginia. The Ameri-can forces won that battle, forcing Cornwallis to surrender.

Cornwallis did not know that British ships carrying 6,000 men were ontheir way to help him. They arrived just six days after his surrender. Had theFrench not delayed the landing of the British ships, the results of the Ameri-can Revolution might have been very different. By the spring of 1782, Brit-ish forces in Georgia believed they could not defeat the Americans. They leftSavannah, ending 31/2 years of occupation.

The Treaty of Paris was signed by Great Britain, France, and the UnitedStates in September 1783. Independence was finally a reality. There were onlyeleven battles and skirmishes on Georgia’s soil. However, Georgians could

Below: In October 1781,combined American andFrench forces trapped theBritish army at Yorktown,Virginia. British GeneralCornwallis surrendered onOctober 18, 1781.

Section 4: The Revolutionary War Period 161

be proud of their part in the Revolutionary Waras the work of building a new country began.

Blacks in the AmericanRevolution

One of the men who followed Colonel Clarkeat Kettle Creek was a Revolutionary War heronamed Austin Dabney. Dabney was a freebornmulatto, a child of mixed parentage. He arrivedin Georgia just before the war with a man namedRichard Aycock. Aycock, a white North Carolin-ian, was not known for his bravery. Instead ofjoining the Georgia militia himself, Aycock pro-posed that Austin Dabney take his place. Aftermuch discussion, some of which centered onwhether he was freeborn or a slave, Dabney wasaccepted. He proved to be a good soldier at KettleCreek and was wounded in action. A familynamed Harris cared for him while his woundshealed.

After the Revolutionary War, veterans weregiven plots of land as part payment for their mili-

tary service. Many did not want Dabney to get his veteran’s share of land.However, Governor George Gilmer and some members of the Georgia legis-lature praised Dabney as a patriot. After months of debate, Dabney receiveda valuable piece of land in Madison County. When he moved to his newhome, he took the Harris family with him. Together, they made the prop-erty profitable. Austin Dabney died in 1834, fifty-five years after the Battleof Kettle Creek.

Dabney was just one of the many people of color who fought in the Revo-lutionary War. As early as the battles of Lexington and Concord, blacks tookup arms against Great Britain in search of freedom. Thousands of slavescrossed over to British lines working as soldiers, boat pilots, cooks, musicians,and in many other jobs. The British both actively recruited blacks to serve assoldiers and captured slaves for useby the British Army. In November1775, the British governor of Virginiaoffered freedom to all slaves willingto bear arms against the rebellingcolonists. His proclamation ledAmerican leaders to accept blacksinto the Continental Army, promis-ing that they would receive freedomat the end of their enlistment. Thegovernment also made provisionsto pay slave owners for all slavesfreed in such a way. While there are

Did You Know?Did You Know?

Above: During the heroicfighting at the Battle of KettleCreek, Austin Dabney was hitby a rifle ball that passedthrough his thigh. Dabney iscredited with saving the life ofElijah Clarke by giving thecolonel a horse after his hadbeen shot out from under him.

162 Chapter 5: From Royalty to Independence

?During the Revolutionary War,

almost as many colonistsfought on the British side asfought on the American side.Out of 282,000 men in thethirteen colonies, GeorgeWashington never had an

army numbering over 25,000.

no exact figures on the participation of blacks in the Continental Army, ithas been estimated that about 5,000 served.

Although many blacks distinguished themselves in the Revolutionary War,support for their enlistment in the army varied. Southern states did not wantto use slaves or freedmen as soldiers because the idea of recruiting and arm-ing slaves raised fears of slave revolts.

General George Washington, himself a fourth-generation slave owner,questioned the wisdom of using black troops, but most of the former colo-nies began to enlist both slaves and free blacks in the armies. Georgia andSouth Carolina were the only two states to refuse to legalize slave enlistmentsin their militias.

Antislavery sentiment mounted after the war; in most states, public opin-ion turned strongly against slavery. In many states, blacks were given boththeir freedom and land at the end of the war. In the South, however, thedecline of such staple crops as tobacco, indigo, and rice made the farmersreluctant to free their black slaves.

Looking Back at theRevolutionary War

When fighting broke out at Lexington andConcord, the British had a number of advan-tages in the coming military conflict. They hada strong central government, while the thir-teen colonies were separate governments withno real central power. The British had a well-equipped, professional army; the colonies hadeager citizen-volunteers with little training,discipline, and equipment and with limitedexperience. Fortunately, many experiencedEuropean soldiers seeking adventure came tojoin America’s cause. The British had theworld’s most powerful navy; the colonies hadonly merchant ships. The Americans did com-mission four battle ships in 1775 and autho-rized private ships to attack the British Navyand keep any profits they made. The Britishwere well financed by their government; thecolonies had no major sources of revenue fortheir new government. Perhaps the most im-portant British advantage was the divided loy-alties of the colonists. Almost one-third of thecolonists were neutral, and a large number,almost 20 percent of the population, remainedloyal to Great Britain.

Despite the British military might, the colo-nists had four advantages that could not beovercome. First, they were fighting on their

Below: In 1775, GeneralGeorge Washington, leader ofthe Continental Army,recommended that blacksnot be permitted to serve inthe Continental Army.

Section 4: The Revolutionary War Period 163

home soil. They were fighting not only for their belief in freedom but alsofor their own homes and farms and villages. Second, the British were fight-ing very far from home and had to deal with long and dangerous supplylines. Third, the colonies had no central area that could be captured to de-clare victory. Fighting was spread out among all thirteen colonies, along theGulf of Mexico, the western frontier, and even north of the Great Lakes inCanada. Fourth, the battles were fought over the rugged terrain of forestsand swamps familiar to the colonists and not the open, flat battlefields thatthe British were accustomed to using.

While everything seemed to favor the British over the colonists, theAmericans won their Revolutionary War to become a new and independentnation.

With Thanks to SpainSpain is an often forgotten ally in the American Revolution. Spain and France

had been at war with Great Britain for almost one hundred years before theAmerican Revolution. Spain was angry and embarrassed when it lost Floridaand other territories at the end of the French and Indian War. It wanted re-venge. Also, King Carlos III of Spain had become impressed with the colonials.Although he did not totally approve of the “idea of colonials seeking inde-pendence” since he himself had a number of colonies, he did want to help.

For over five years, Spain sent a great deal of money and supplies to sup-port the colonists. The funds came from people living in what is now Texas,New Mexico, California, and Mexico. Men from Spanish possessions in theregion fought with the colonists. Spain also provided invaluable informa-tion from a very effective spy network. Although Spain was not in a positionto open defy Great Britain, it did a great deal behind the scenes.

Pedro Pablo of Bolea was the Spanish ambassador in France and met withBenjamin Franklin and others traveling to Europe to help break the British

By the Side of the RoadBy the Side of the RoadOther than guerilla warfare and fighting betweenTories and Patriots, there were few major Revolu-tionary War battles in Georgia. The British-con-trolled areas of north and east Florida weresandwiched between forces at St. Augustine anda small fort, Fort Tonyn, in what is now CamdenCounty. When you travel in southeast Georgia,check out the area around Point Peter close tothe Georgia-Florida boundary.

Above: King Carlos III ofSpain supported the coloniesin their war for independence.He secretly shipped arms,munitions, cattle, uniforms,medicine, blankets, andmoney to the Americancolonies.

164 Chapter 5: From Royalty to Independence

• In the years before the Revolutionary War, everyday life in the thir-teen colonies remained difficult.

• Georgia became a royal colony in 1752 and as such was governeddirectly by the British king.

• Georgia continued to prosper, and many people who had left the colonywhen it was under the rule of the trustees returned to the royal colony.

• A new group of settlers from South Carolina and the West Indies boughtland and moved to Midway, bringing slaves with them.

• Governor John Reynolds was the first royal governor. He was followedas governor by Henry Ellis and James Wright.

• Georgia gained land at the end of the French and Indian War. Its south-ern boundary was set at the St. Marys River, and the Indians gave uplands north and east of the Ogeechee and Savannah rivers northwardto Augusta and south of the Altamaha River.

• A series of laws imposed by the British on the colonies increasedresentment against British rule.

• In 1775, the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired duringthe Battles of Lexington and Concord.

• In July 1776, Georgia joined the other twelve colonies in declaringindependence from Great Britain.

• Georgia was occupied by British forces for most of the war.

• Several battles were fought on Georgia soil, including the Battle ofKettle Creek.

• The final battle of the Revolutionary War took place at Yorktown,Virginia.

• The official end of the war came with the signing of the Treaty of Parisof 1783.

• People of color, including Austin Dabney, fought in the ContinentalArmy.

Chapter SummaryChapter Summary

It’s Your TurnIt’s Your Turn

t

1. Name the Georgiasigners of the Declarationof Independence.

2. What was the purpose ofthe second part of theDeclaration of Indepen-dence?

3. For whom were theoriginal parishes ofGeorgia renamed ascounties?

4. What was our country’sfirst constitution called?

naval blockade. Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish governor of Louisiana, pro-vided military assistance against Great Britain in Florida, Louisiana, alongthe Gulf of Mexico, and in the Mississippi River Valley. He also helped thecolonists move men, arms, and supplies through the Gulf of Mexico and onthe Mississippi River while resisting British attempts to blockade the river.

A Final NoteThe men who signed the Declaration of Independence showed extreme

courage and took great risks. Had the colonists lost the war, each man whosigned the document could have been shot for treason. Would you have beenwilling to risk your life and all that you owned for your belief in freedom?

Above: Bernardo de Galvez,the Spanish governor ofLouisiana, helped the Ameri-can cause through diplomatic,financial and military exploitsagainst Great Britain in theMississippi River Valley, theGulf Coast, Louisiana, and inthe Gulf of Mexico.

Section 4: The Revolutionary War Period 165