Important People in Georgia History

Flashcards for Georgia History Final Exam Review

First Spanish explorer to set foot in Georgia.

Hernando DeSoto

Chief of the Yamacraw Indians who allowed the Georgia colonists to build Savannah.

Tomochichi

Founder of the Georgia Colony.

James Oglethorpe

Interpreter between James Oglethorpe and Chief Tomochichi.

Mary Musgrove

King of Great Britain who granted the Charter of 1732, establishing the Georgia Colony.

King George II

Georgia’s first colonial royal governor who introduced self-government to the colonists.

John Reynolds

Georgia’s second colonial royal governor, popular due to the colony's economic and population growth during his time.

Henry Ellis

Georgia’s third colonial royal governor who strengthened the colony's defense and was governor during the Revolutionary War.

James Wright

Commander of the Georgia militia at the Battle of Kettle Creek.

Elijah Clarke

Black soldier wounded at the Battle of Kettle Creek and awarded land for his service.

Austin Dabney

Revolutionary War Heroine, whom Hart County is named after.

Nancy Hart

Leader of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

George Washington

Polish nobleman who helped the Patriots and died at the Siege of Savannah.

Casimir Pulaski

Main author of the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson

Georgia’s signer of the Declaration of Independence: Brave

Button Gwinnett

Georgia’s signer of the Declaration of Independence. Leaders of

Lyman Hall

Georgia’s signer of the Declaration of Independence: Georgia

George Walton

A Georgia signer of the United States Constitution. “ Bald men”

Abraham Baldwin

A Georgia signer of the United States Constitution. “ A few”

William Few

Creek Chief who signed the Treaty of Indian Springs in 1825 and was killed for it.

William McIntosh

Created the written language for the Cherokee, the Syllabary.

Sequoyah

Cherokee Chief who requested treaties be honored and people not be removed from their land.

John Ross

President who signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and refused to support the Supreme Court decision in Worchester v. Georgia.

Andrew Jackson

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who ruled in favor of the Cherokee in Worchester vs. Georgia.

John Marshall

Invented the cotton gin while working in Georgia, leading to an increase in slavery.

Eli Whitney

Georgia Congressman who supported the Georgia Platform and became the Vice President of the Confederate States of America.

Alexander Stephens

President of the Confederate States of America.

Jefferson Davis

Union General famous for his March to the Sea.

William T. Sherman

Confederate General during the Civil War.

Robert E. Lee

Union General who created the total war campaign with Sherman and was elected president in 1870.

Ulyssess S. Grant

Whose election in 1860 caused secession of Southern states and who passed the Emancipation Proclamation?

Abraham Lincoln

Commander of the Andersonville Prison Camp, executed for poor treatment of prisoners.

Henry Wirz

U.S. President during Reconstruction who was impeached by Congress.

Andrew Johnson

One of the first African Americans elected to the Georgia General Assembly, expelled for not being allowed to hold office.

Henry McNeal Turner

Member of the Bourbon Triumvirate who held positions of State Senator, U.S. Senator and Governor.

John Gordon

Member of the Bourbon Triumvirate. held positions of State Senator, U.S. Senator and governor; attended GA’s secession convention.

Alfred Colquitt

Oldest member of the Bourbon Triumvirate who held multiple positions including State Senator, Judge, Governor, and U.S. Senator.

Joseph Brown

Journalist who coined the phrase “New South”.

Henry Grady

Georgia’s Best-Known Populist who introduced the Rural Free Delivery Bill.

Tom Watson

Leader in suffrage and helped get rid of the Convict Lease System; First woman U.S. senator.

Rebecca Latimer Felton

Jewish man lynched after being charged with the murder of Mary Phagan.

Leo Frank

Challenged segregation laws on trains, leading to the Plessy v. Ferguson case.

Homer Plessy

President of the Tuskegee Institute who gave the “Atlanta Compromise Speech”.

Booker T. Washington

Opposed Booker T. Washington and wanted social and political integration and higher education for African Americans.

WEB DuBois

Wealthiest African American in Atlanta; founder of Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association.

Alonzo Herndon

Governor elected 4 times, opposed the New Deal, and supported white supremacy.

Eugene Talmadge

GA Governor and U.S. Senator, known as the "father of the school lunch program”.

Richard Russell

US Representative for 50 years and helped to bring military bases to GA.

Carl Vinson

President who started the New Deal programs and visited Warm Springs for his polio.

Franklin D Roosevelt

Longest serving progressive mayor of Atlanta, known as the “Father of Atlanta Aviation”.

William B. Hartsfield

Desegregated all public facilities in ATL and brought the Braves, Falcons, and Hawks to Atlanta.

Ivan Allen Jr.

GA Governor: First governor to serve 4 year term.

Ellis Arnall

Lieutenant Governor during the Three Governors Episode, became Governor when Eugene Talmadge died.

Melvin Thompson

Involved in the Three Governors’ Episode, Governor for 2 terms, later a U.S. Senator.

Herman Talmadge

Civil Rights Leader who developed a non-violent approach to social change and gave the “I have a Dream Speech”.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights leader, chairman of SNCC, and U.S. Representative for over 30 years.

John Lewis

First African American Mayor of Atlanta who ensured minority businesses received fair city contracts.

Maynard Jackson

Owned the “Pickrick”, known as the “axe handle governor”, and appointed more African Americans to state offices than any other governor before him!

Lester Madox

Aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and mayor of Atlanta.

Andrew Young

From Plains GA, U.S. President during the Camp David Accords and the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Jimmy Carter

Hernando DeSoto

First Spanish explorer to set foot in Georgia

Tomochichi

Chief of the Yamacraw Indians who allowed the Georgia colonists to build Savannah

James Oglethorpe

Founder of the Georgia Colony

Mary Musgrove

Interpreter between James Oglethorpe and Chief Tomochichi

King George II

King of Great Britain who granted the Charter of 1732, establishing the Georgia Colony

John Reynolds

Georgia’s first colonial royal governor who introduced self-government to the colonists.

Henry Ellis

Georgia’s second colonial royal governor, popular due to the colony's economic and population growth during his time.

James Wright

Georgia’s third colonial royal governor who strengthened the colony's defense and was governor during the Revolutionary War.

Elijah Clarke

Commander of the Georgia militia at the Battle of Kettle Creek

Austin Dabney

Black soldier wounded at the Battle of Kettle Creek and awarded land for his service

Nancy Hart

Revolutionary War Heroine, whom Hart County is named after

George Washington

Leader of the Continental Army during the American Revolution

Casimir Pulaski

Polish nobleman who helped the Patriots and died at the Siege of Savannah

Thomas Jefferson

Main author of the Declaration of Independence

Button Gwinnett

One of Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence

Lyman Hall

One of Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence

George Walton

One of Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence

Abraham Baldwin

One of Georgia's signers of the United States Constitution

William Few

One of Georgia's signers of the United States Constitution

William McIntosh

Creek Chief who signed the Treaty of Indian Springs in 1825 and was killed for it

Sequoyah

Created the written language for the Cherokee, the Syllabary

John Ross

Cherokee Chief who requested treaties be honored and that people not be removed from their land

Andrew Jackson

President who signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and refused to support the Supreme Court decision in Worchester v. Georgia

John Marshall

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who ruled in favor of the Cherokee in Worchester vs. Georgia

Eli Whitney

Invented the cotton gin while working in Georgia, leading to an increase in slavery

Alexander Stephens

Georgia Congressman who supported the Georgia Platform and became the Vice President of the Confederate States of America

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America

William T. Sherman

Union General famous for his March to the Sea

Robert E. Lee

Confederate General during the Civil War

Ulysses S. Grant

Union General who created the total war campaign with Sherman and was elected president in 1870

Abraham Lincoln

My election in 1860 caused secession of Southern states and I passed the Emancipation Proclamation

Henry Wirz

Commander of the Andersonville Prison Camp, executed for poor treatment of prisoners

Andrew Johnson

U.S. President during Reconstruction who was impeached by Congress

Henry McNeal Turner

One of the first African Americans elected to the Georgia General Assembly, expelled for not being allowed to hold office

John Gordon

Member of the Bourbon Triumvirate who held positions of State Senator, U.S. Senator and Governor

Alfred Colquitt

Member of the Bourbon Triumvirate. I held positions of State Senator, U.S. Senator and governor; I attended GA’s secession convention

Joseph Brown

Oldest member of the Bourbon Triumvirate who held multiple positions including State Senator, Judge, Governor, and U.S. Senator

Henry Grady

Journalist who coined the phrase “New South”

Tom Watson

Georgia’s Best-Known Populist who introduced the Rural Free Delivery Bill

Rebecca Latimer Felton

Leader in suffrage and helped get rid of the Convict Lease System; I was the First woman U.S. senator