United States of America: Georgia

Georgia is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Named after King George II of Great Britain, the Colony of Georgia covered the area from South Carolina south to Spanish Florida and west to French Louisiana at the Mississippi River.

Founded in 1733 as a British colony, Georgia was the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established. On January 2, 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution. From 1802 to 1804, western Georgia was split to form the Mississippi Territory, which later was admitted as the U.S. states of Alabama and Mississippi.

Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate States. Following the American Civil War, it was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. In the post-Reconstruction era, Georgia’s economy was transformed as a group of prominent politicians, businessmen, and journalists, led by Henry W. Grady, espoused the “New South” philosophy of sectional reconciliation, industrialization, and white supremacy.

During the 20th century, several Georgians, most notably Martin Luther King Jr., were prominent leaders during the civil rights movement.