Georgia later became one of the original 13 American colonies and thrived as its rich resources attracted settlers.   After the Revolutionary War, in 1788, Georgia was the first southern state to ratify the new United States constitution.

     Beginning in 1776, Land was offered via  Headright & Bounty Land Grants along the coast and the Savannah River in the Eastern portion of Georgia.  Between 1805 & 1832, as more land was needed to the West, additional counties were created with the Six Cherokee Land Lotteries.  Each new county was divided into Militia Districts and census records are enumerated in this format. 

    In 1811, there was a Georgia boundary dispute over lands in present-day Transylvania County, near Brevard, NC known as the Walton War. Georgia had actually established this area as Walton County in 1803 and elected its officials. Georgia lost this war, so Walton Co. was no longer a part of Georgia. If you can't find your ancestors in North Georgia on a 1810 Census, they may have fallen into this 'black hole' of Georgia's history that's actually North Carolina.  In 1818, a county was formed in the center of Georgia and it was named Walton Co. but don't confused the two in your research.

   Gold was discovered in Habersham, White and Lumpkin Counties in 1828. This brought a flood of people hoping to make a fortune. Many of the visitors came from neighboring North & South Carolina. The dome on the State House Building in Atlanta is clad with North Georgia gold gifted by the folks of Dahlonega in 1958 creating a lasting reminder of one of our nation's first gold rushes.

     Georgia fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.  However there were numerous Union sympathizers living in the northern mountain regions. Georgia is rich with history and has been in the forefront of our nation's development.                                                                                                                  Photo Courtesy of Golden Ink, Inc.