Causes of the and ’s Role: SS8H3

Timeline of Key Events:

1732- Georgia colony is founded by James Oglethorpe and the Trustees

1743- Trustees give control of the colony back to King George II, Georgia becomes a Royal Colony

1754-1763- French-Indian War (The Seven Years War) is fought between France and Great Britain. Great Britain wins.

1763- Proclamation of 1763 is issued to keep colonists from settling on Indian lands west of the Appalachian Mountains.

1765- Stamp Act is passed by Great Britain in an effort to have American Colonists help pay of the French-Indian War.

1776- The Declaration of Independence is issued by the Second .

1776-1789- The Articles of Confederation serves as our plan for American government.

1777- Georgia writes its first state Constitution.

1778- Savannah is captured by the British and remains in British control until the end of the War.

1779- Georgia Patriots, led by Elijah Clarke, score their first victory against the British at the Battle of Kettle Creek.

1779- Georgia Patriots and their allies fail to take back control of Savannah during the Siege of Savannah. Casimir Pulaski dies during the assault.

1787- A new U.S. Constitution is written and approved by the states to replace the Articles of Confederation.

Overview: When compared to other colonies, such as Massachusetts, , and Virginia, Georgia the youngest, smallest, and poorest colony, played a relatively minor role during the American Revolutionary War period. For instance, Georgia was the only colony to sell stamps during the Stamp Act crisis and did not send a representative to the First Continental Congress in 1774. Once Georgia joined the patriot cause, the city of Savannah was easily recaptured by the British in 1778, and Georgia’s coastal cities remained firmly in British hands for the remainder of the war.

However, there was much more to the Revolutionary period in Georgia. Georgia’s revolutionary history includes men and women who challenged British authority at a potential cost to themselves, their families, and their businesses. Taking a side would place Georgians in difficult circumstances.

French-Indian War (The Seven Years War): The traditional causes of the Revolution did not have the same impact on Georgia as they did on other colonies in the North. For example, the French and Indian War (1754-1763), a conflict between France and England for control of the rich fur region of the Ohio River valley, was fought far from Georgia’s borders and had a very small impact on the state. However, after the British won the French and Indian War, Georgia’s borders expanded to the St. Mary’s River to the South, the Mississippi River to the West, and land around Augusta to the North. Due to the cost of fighting the war, there were two important events that led to conflict between Britain and its colonies. The first was the Proclamation of 1763, and the second was a series of taxes, including the Stamp Act (1765), that led to colonial anger.

The Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George III and outlawed colonists from settling lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation was issued in order to stabilize relations between Great Britain and the American Indian tribes who lived in the Ohio River valley. However, the colonists, many of whom participated in the French and India War in hopes of gaining new western lands for settlement, were extremely upset by the Proclamation of 1763. In fact, many colonists simply ignored the Proclamation and settled in the river valley anyway.

The people of Georgia did not share the same reactions to the Proclamation of 1763 for two reasons. First, the young Georgia colony was small and most colonists were still settled close to the Georgia coastline and Barrier Islands, with major trade routes and ports. Secondly, Georgia gained land and resources from the Spanish and their American Indian allies after the French and Indian war, which were located south of the line drawn by the Proclamation of 1763, opening new coastal lands on which Georgians could settle.

The Stamp Act: Due to the debt that the French and Indian War caused the British government believed that the colonists should be responsible for paying back some of that money by paying new taxes. This was the first time that colonists were being directly taxed without colonial “representation” in the British Parliament. This led to protests throughout the colonies.

One of the earliest and most controversial taxes was the Stamp Act of 1765, which put a tax on items that were commonly used by almost every colonist, including newspapers, licenses, and legal documents. Reaction to this act in the colonies was swift and often violent. Colonial leaders made formal speeches against the act and joined to form the Stamp Act Congress. Average citizens reacted more violently and protested by attacking the homes of British officials and tarring and feathering tax collectors. Some of these citizens joined a group called the “Sons of Liberty” in response to these taxes. Eventually, due to colonial pressure, the British Parliament repealed or eliminated the Stamp Act, but soon issued other taxes. These taxes caused even more anger and set the stage for the Revolutionary War.

Due to Georgia’s small population, a popular royal (James Wright), and economic dependence on Great Britain, its response to the Stamp Act was not as violent as it was in other colonies. In fact, Georgia was the only colony where a small number of stamps were sold. However, there was some resistance to the Stamp Act. Several important Georgians spoke out against the Stamp Act and on November 6, 1765, a group affiliated with the Sons of Liberty called the “Liberty Boys” was established to oppose the Stamp Act.

The Declaration of Independence: The Declaration of Independence was the document officially declaring the colonies’ independence from Great Britain. It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The declaration was drafted or written by .

By July 1776 in Georgia, Royal Governor James Wright had been removed from power and the colony was under the control of the Patriots. Three Georgians, , Lyman Hall, and , attended the Second Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence on behalf of the Georgia colony.

The Declaration of Independence is divided into three parts. The first part, the Preamble is similar to an introduction, explains to the reader about the natural rights of all people, states the reasons for the document, and includes the famous quote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The second section includes a list of grievances (complaints) against King George III including “imposing taxes without our consent” and “quartering large bodies of troops among us.” The list details why the colonies felt that independence was necessary. The final part is the actual “declaration of independence” and is where the colonists officially cut ties from Great Britain, the mother country.

Three men signed the Declaration of Independence on behalf of the Georgia colony.

Button Gwinnett (1735-1777)- as a member of the Congress, he strongly supported independence from England. Upon his return from , he was instrumental in the creation and passage of the Georgia Constitution of 1777. Gwinnett County was named in his honor.

Lyman Hall (1734-1790) Hall was the only Georgia representative in the Second Continental Congress in 1775. Though he participated in debates, he refused to vote because he did not represent the entire state. Once Gwinnett and Walton joined him in 1776, he voted for independence from England and signed the Declaration. Upon returning to Georgia, Hall was elected Governor in 1783 and was instrumental in the founding of the . Hall County was named in his honor.

George Walton (1749?-1804) In 1776, he was appointed as a representative to the Second Continental Congress where he signed the Declaration of Independence. Walton was elected and elected to Congress. He also served as Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, as an U.S. Senator, and finally as a superior court judge. Walton County was named in his honor.

Georgia’s Role in the Revolutionary War: The Loyalists, as their name implies, were loyal to Britain and did not want the colonies to break away from the mother country. Because many Georgians prospered under royal leadership, many were reluctant to rise up against Britain. Many of the Loyalist landowners gave up their land to the Patriots and left Georgia after the war.

Patriots were outnumbered by the Loyalists, who were also called Tories, in the Georgia colony. However, Georgia radicals were moved to action, many joining the Liberty Boys. Even through Georgia Patriots were outnumbered, they stood their ground by experiencing military success at Kettle Creek and taking control of British-held Augusta.

Though the Battle of Kettle Creek was not as important as other major American victories such as Trenton, Saratoga, and Yorktown, this battle raised the morale of the Georgia Patriots, refilled much needed supplies, and set the stage for several victories in the southern back country toward the end of the Revolutionary War.

The Battle of Kettle Creek took place on February 14, 1779. The Georgia militia, led by Elijah Clarke and Thomas Dooly, attacked a camp of 600 British Loyalists. Though outnumbered, the Patriots defeated the Loyalist troops, boosting the Patriot cause after several earlier defeats. Based on their heroic actions in the battle, both Clarke and Austin Dabney (a slave who served in the Georgia militia) became Georgia heroes.

In 1778, the British recaptured Savannah creating “two” Georgia’s during the war: The Patriot-held countryside and the British held cities of Augusta and Savannah. In October 1779, a joint force of French and Patriot troops attacked Savannah in hopes of retaking the city. This attack was a dismal failure. After five days of intense shelling from French ships and Patriot batteries, little damage was done to the British military but several civilians in the city were killed. When the French and American troops finally attacked the city, they were easily defeated by the British troops. When the fighting ended, over 800 allied troops were killed compared to 18 British soldiers. Savannah stayed in British hands until 1782.

Though the Siege of Savannah was a failure for the Patriots, several American heroes emerged from the battle. One was Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish nobleman who was killed leading a charge. Another hero, Sergeant William Jasper, was also killed while attacking a British position. Additionally, a group of black soldiers from Haiti heroically protected the allied retreat and saving hundreds of allied soldiers’ lives in the process.

Important People:  Abraham Baldwin (1754-1807)- was one of four Georgians sent to the Constitutional Convention and one of two who signed the document.

 Button Gwinnett (1735-1777) - Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence.

 Lyman Hall (1724-1790) - Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence; governor of Georgia.

 George Walton (1749-1804) - the youngest of the Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence; Georgia governor, and U.S. Senator.

 William Few, Jr. (1748-1828)- fought in the American Revolution, served as a state legislator, and was appointed as one of Georgia’s representatives to the Constitutional Convention.

Important Groups:  Liberty Boys - the Georgia chapter of the Sons of Liberty; established in protest of the Stamp Act.

 Loyalists - colonists who were loyal to Great Britain; also known as Tories.

 Sons of Liberty - group established by Sam Adams in Boston, Massachusetts, to protest the Stamp Act and other English taxes.

 Patriots - a colonist who wanted to become independent from Great Britain.

Important Events:  French and Indian War (1754-1763) - a war between England, France, and their Native American allies.

 Battle of Kettle Creek (February 14, 1779) - Small Revolutionary War battle in Georgia where patriot forces, led by Elijah Clarke, defeated 600 British loyalists; one of the few patriot victories in the state.

 Siege of Savannah (September 16, 1779-October 18, 1779) - a failed attempt by the French and Americans to recapture Savannah during the Revolution.

Important Documents:  Intolerable Acts - a group of five acts issued by the British Parliament designed to punish the Massachusetts colony for the Boston Tea Party.

 Stamp Act (1765) - placed a tax on all legal documents, newspapers, and other paper products, was created to help pay for the cost of the French and Indian War. It was repealed in 1766.

 Articles of Confederation - America’s first written constitution; had many limitations that hindered the smooth functioning of the government.

 Proclamation of 1763 - royal proclamation that outlawed colonists from settling newly acquired land west of the Appalachian Mountains.

 Declaration of Independence - three-part document that discusses natural rights, explains the wrongs committed by King George, and offers an official declaration of independence from England. o Preamble - the beginning of a document that explains its purpose. o Grievances - an official statement of a complaint over something believed to be wrong or unfair. o Declaration- the final section of the Declaration of Independence that states that the American Colonies are now independent from Great Britain and are to now known as the United States of America.