Read along to learn 10 fun facts about the state of Georgia!
At least 13,000 years ago, the first people arrived in what is now the state of Georgia. By 1000 BCE, Native American tribes such as the Apalachee, Cherokee, and Choctaw inhabited the area. After British colonization, Georgia became the southernmost (and last) of the 13 colonies in 1733.
Named after King George II, Georgia became the 4th state to ratify the United States Constitution and the fifth to join the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Let’s get into even more fun facts about the state of Georgia!
1. Georgia Has Three Key Nicknames
These nicknames are: the Peach State, the Cracker State, and the Empire of the South State.
Many people associate the state of Georgia with peaches. However, South Carolina and California both produce more of the fruit than Georgia. Georgia’s largest crop is actually pecans.
The name “cracker” comes from British settlers, who were known as “crackers” because they cracked whips when they drove their livestock down the road.
And Georgia was an “empire” of sorts. It is the largest Southern state in land area east of the Mississippi River, and was the leading industrial state of the Old South. Much of Georgia’s economy prior to the Civil War relied on enslaved labor, which is why it joined the Confederacy in the conflict.
2. Hart County is Named After a Woman
Out of 159 counties in Georgia, only one is named after a woman. Hart County is named for Revolutionary War heroine Nancy Hart. She is best known as a warrior and a spy in the fight against the British.
Hart would sometimes disguise herself as a feeble man and wander into British military camps to gather intelligence.
One day, while making soap, a British spy crept up to her cabin. After one of her children alerted her to the spy, Hart filled her ladle with boiling, soapy water and threw it in his face. The local militia took him as a prisoner.
3. The University of Georgia was the First State-Supported University
On January 27, 1785, the University of Georgia (UGA) became the first state-established university. In the years since, UGA has provided the framework for the American system of publicly supported universities and colleges.
4. Wesleyan College was the First to Grant Degrees to Women
Speaking of universities, Wesleyan College in Macon was the first to offer degrees to women in the world! This was a huge deal, especially for an educational institution in the 19th century. Then known as Georgia Female College, Wesleyan was founded in 1836, and doors opened to students in 1839.
At the time, the minimum age to attend was 12, which was actually not uncommon. To compare, the entrance age for men at the University of Georgia was 14.
5. Coca-Cola Was Created in Georgia
A pharmacist named John Pemberton created Coca-Cola. On May 8, 1886, Jacobs’ Pharmacy sold the first glass of the fizzy beverage for five cents. Today, people can visit the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta. This museum is home to the secret Coca-Cola formula.
Visitors can see over 1,200 artifacts and try more than 60 beverages from around the world!
6. Georgia’s Gold Rush Had Huge Consequences
The Georgia Gold Rush began in 1828. Stories vary on who first discovered gold, but by 1829 thousands of prospectors flooded the state. This led to the Georgia Land Lotteries and the Trail of Tears, which displaced the Indigenous tribes in the area.
7. Cumberland Island is Full of History
The largest of Georgia’s Golden Isles, Cumberland Island, is only accessible by boat. The island was first home to Indigenous peoples. The Spanish colonized it in the 16th century. Later, the French and British also settled in the area.
Eventually, the island became home to plantations that utilized enslaved people’s labor to produce cotton. Today, Cumberland Island National Seashore is a protected ecological and historical site that serves as a popular tourist attraction.
8. Stone Mountain is the World’s Largest Piece of Exposed Granite
Located about 16 miles east of Atlanta, Stone Mountain has a base circumference of 3.8 miles and a height of 1,500 feet. Stone Mountain also features the largest high-relief sculpture in the world. It centers on Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson of the Confederacy and their horses. This sculpture highlights the North/South divide that persisted after the end of the Civil War.
9. Georgia was the First State to Lower the Legal Voting Age
In 1943, Georgia lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in all state and local elections. This would not become the norm nationwide until the ratification of the 26th Amendment in 1971.
10. Georgia was home to the Summer Olympics in 1996
Twelve years after the last Summer Games in North America, Atlanta hosted the event. It marked the first time that the Summer Games took place in a different year from the Winter Games. 1996 also marked the centennial of the modern Olympic Games.
The city built dorms on the campus of Georgia State University as part of the Olympic Village. The Centennial Olympic Stadium was repurposed as Turner Field for the Brave’s Major League Baseball team.
More State of Georgia Fun Facts
Cherokee rose: State Flower
Southern live oak: State Tree
Brown Thrasher: State Bird
State Motto: “Wisdom, Justice, & Moderation.”
