History

Long before Europeans arrived in Georgia, Mississippian Indians built thriving towns, crafted pottery and stone tools, and passed down traditions through art and storytelling. 

Learn how groups like the Jews, Salzburgers, Highland Scots, and others shaped early Georgia—and how their arrival, contributions, and beliefs influenced the colony’s economy, culture, and early debates over slavery.

Learn why state leaders founded the University of Georgia, and how education and government worked together to guide the state’s growth.

Discover how European nations raced to the New World during the Age of Exploration, and explore how their quests for wealth, power, and new trade routes forever changed North America. 

Explore Georgia’s five state capitals and learn why each move happened. See how population trends, politics, geography, and growth shaped the capital’s location and what that reveals about Georgia’s shifting identity.

From the headright system to the Yazoo Land Fraud to land lotteries, Georgia’s land policies shaped who owned land, who lost it, and how the state grew.

Explore how Georgia shifted from the Trustees' rule to British control, and learn what that change meant for the colony. Discover how royal governance worked, and how new policies reshaped Georgia.

From cargo ships in Savannah to jets flying out of Atlanta, Georgia’s transportation network keeps the world moving. Discover how the state’s four major systems—water, rail, road, and air—work together to deliver everything from groceries to sneakers. 

Discover how Henry Grady became the leading voice of the “New South.” Explore his vision for economic growth, industrial development, and a rebranded Southern identity, while also examining the limits and controversies behind his message.

Explore Georgia's response to the Brown v. Board of Education decision–including the 1956 flag and the Sibley Commission–and discover what it meant for public schools across the state.

Discover how Georgia’s first city came to life! In 1733, James Oglethorpe, Chief Tomochichi, and Mary Musgrove joined forces at Yamacraw Bluff to create Savannah—a city built on cooperation, planning, and vision. 

From sit-ins and Freedom Rides to “Bloody Sunday” and voting rights victories, learn how John Lewis made “good trouble” and left a lasting legacy in the fight for equality.

The 1996 Summer Olympics put Atlanta (and Georgia) on the world stage. Discover how hosting the Games transformed the city’s economy, population, and reputation, turning Atlanta into a global powerhouse.

Learn how the boll weevil wiped out half of Georgia’s cotton production, how a major drought made things even worse, and how these challenges forced Georgia to rethink its farming and economy.

Discover how three powerful Georgia leaders, known as the Bourbon Triumvirate, shaped the state’s politics and economy after Reconstruction.

Discover how the Port of Savannah helps power Georgia’s economy and how the completion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) has contributed to Georgia's economic growth.

From peanut farmer to president, Jimmy Carter’s story sounds almost too incredible to be true. Born in Plains, Georgia, Carter went from serving on a nuclear submarine to leading the nation, and later, to dedicating his life to peace, human rights, and helping others.

From the Declaration of Independence to the Constitutional Convention, this episode of Georgia Stories breaks down how the United States—and Georgia—built their first governments. 

Discover how the Charter of 1732 laid the foundation for the colony of Georgia. Learn why Britain created Georgia, who controlled it, and how early rules shaped life in the colony.

Long before corn was a staple around the world, Indigenous people in Georgia mastered growing and preparing corn, making it a central part of their culture. 

Dive into the Siege of Savannah, one of the most significant—and complex—battles of the American Revolution in Georgia.

Uncover the complicated legacy of Chief William McIntosh, a Muscogee (Creek) chief whose choices shaped Georgia. Learn how his mixed heritage positioned him between cultures, why he supported certain U.S. policies, and how his role in key treaties led to deep divisions within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Discover how the Union blockade became a powerful naval strategy during the Civil War. Learn how controlling ports and trade routes weakened the Confederate economy and shaped Georgia’s wartime experience.

Learn about the rise of Tom Watson and the Populist movement in Georgia during the late 19th century. Examine the complexities of populism, power, and politics in Georgia's history.

Learn how settlers experimented with silk, indigo, and rice, traded goods with England, and built the foundations of Georgia’s agriculture and trade.

Explore the political, economic, and ideological causes of the American Revolution, including taxation without representation, colonial protests, and growing tensions between Britain and its colonies.

During the Civil War, one of the deadliest places a soldier could end up wasn’t the battlefield—it was Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Nearly 13,000 Union soldiers died there from starvation, disease, and exposure.