Georgia During The American Revolution

Who was Who?

The Colonists• People who sided with the

colonists were called Patriots .

• They were also called Whigs• General George

Washington led American forces against the British.

The British• People in the colonies who

sided with the British were called Loyalists.

• They were also called Tories.

How did Georgians feel about the war?

• Georgians were divided three ways at the beginning of the Revolution:

• One third were Patriots or Whigs– They were strongly against British rule

• One third were Loyalists or Tories– They felt Georgia had prospered under Royal Governor

James Wright– They felt Georgia still needed British support– They still felt close ties to relatives & friends in Britain

• One third were undecided

The Patriots

• Most of the Georgians who sided with the Patriots lived in the backcountry of Georgia away from cities.

• They were farmers who lived independently and provided for the needs of their families without British support.

The First Governor of the State of Georgia

• Savannah was the capital of Georgia before & during the Revolution and was an important port city.

• When the revolution first began, the Royal Governor of Georgia Sir James Wright was arrested by the Patriots, but he escaped.

• John Adam Treutlen was named the first governor of the State of Georgia.

• Soon the British re-took Savannah and Governor Wright returned.

The Siege of Savannah

• In 1779 the French came to the aid of the Americans to fight the British.

• The Patriots tried unsuccessfully to retake Savannah.

• During the battle a Polishman, Count Casimir Pulaski, who fought with the Americans was killed.

• This battle is important because the British held the port of Savannah until the end of the war.

The Battle of Kettle Creek

• Also in 1779, this battle was a Patriot Victory.• Colonel Elijah Clarke led Patriot forces against

the British at Kettle Creek in Northeast Georgia.• The victory was important for many reasons:– The Patriots gained ammunition, arms, and horses– Many Georgians who were undecided joined the

Patriots– The Tories were never again able to gain a large

force in the backcountry of Georgia

Some Important Georgians

Nancy Hart• She and her family were

Patriots living in the backcountry of Georgia.

• A Patriot by the name of John Dooley had been killed by a group of Tories.

• When that same group came to her house, she held them at gun-point until help arrived.

Austin Dabney• He was a “free man of color”• He fought with the Patriots

and was wounded at the Battle of Kettle Creek.

• After the war, he was given a land grant for his role in the war.

• He was one of the only men of color to receive such a grant during this time.

End of the Revolution

• In 1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington and the Americans had won independence!

• Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia• The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 which

officially ended the war.

Problems for the New State of Georgia

• Spain had helped the Patriots during the war, so Florida was returned to Spain at the end of the Revolution.

• There was disagreement with Spain about the boundary between Georgia and Florida that lasted 12 years!

• Also, unfriendly Indians threatened settlers along Georgia’s western frontier.