General James Edward Oglethorpe, Founder of Georgia

“A wise philanthropist, a distinguished soldier, a persuasive statesman, a learned scholar, a perfect gentleman, a true friend; founder of the Colony of Georgia February 12, 1733.”

A British general and philanthropist, Oglethorpe established the Georgia Colony to provide a refuge for the poor and oppressed. The colony was created as a buffer between the British colony of Carolina and the Spanish settlements in Florida. Oglethorpe settled near the present site of Savannah on February 12, 1733, negotiating with the Creek Indians for the land.

Georgia Trustees Receiving Oglethorpe and Indians in London

“The audience given Tomochichi and his companions in the office of the Trustees of the colony of Georgia in Palace Court, London, July 3, 1734. Original pointing (1734-5) by Verelst from sittings by each person portrayed, was presented to the fourth earl of Shaftesbury for valuable services rendered the Colony when the Charter was surrendered by the Trustees, March 21, 1752.”

In 1734 Oglethorpe traveled to London to present the Creek chief Tomochichi to the Colony’s Trustees. Accompanying the group were John Musgrove and his wife Mary Musgrove who had served as the interpreter for Tomochichi and Oglethorpe.

Wesley Teaching Indians

“John Wesley teaching the Indians”

John Wesley (1703-1791) was a minister in the Anglican Church who founded the Methodist movement. He organized Methodist societies throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Recognizing that outdoor services were effective in reaching those who did not attend churches, Wesley took the opportunity to preach wherever he could assemble listeners. He traveled throughout the land, preaching two or three times a day. In 1735 he went to the Georgia Colony where he served as the rector of Christ Church of Savannah. While in the Georgia Colony, he ministered not only the English settlers, but also to the Indians in Georgia.

Wesleyan College

“Original building of Georgia Female College (now Wesleyan) Macon, Georgia, established 1836. First college in the world to bestow degrees upon women. Catherine Brewer received the first diploma in 1840.”

Georgia Female College, founded in Macon by the Methodist Church in 1836, became Wesleyan Female College in 1843. The name change honored Methodism's founder, John Wesley. In 1917 the school's current name, Wesleyan College, was adopted. "Forever first for women's education — striving for excellence, grounded in faith, and engaged in service to the world" is the college's mission.

University of Georgia

“Campus in the Fifties, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. First State University in United States. In 1784 shortly after the Treaty of Versailles, granting independence to each colony, then a state, the legislature of Georgia gave 40,000 acres for the endowment of a University. In 1785 the charter was granted.”

Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1785, UGA was the first university in America to be created by a state government, and the principles of its charter helped lay the foundation for the American system of public higher education.

Richmond Academy

“Augusta, Georgia. Oldest existing high school in America. Established 1783.”

The Academy of Richmond County was founded on July 31, 1783. During its long history it has witnessed many historic events, including a visit by President George Washington on May 19, 1791; being used as a military hospital for the Confederate wounded from 1863-1865; and housing the headquarters of the Union troops occupying Augusta from 1865-1867. The Academy reopened in 1868.

Nancy Hart Capturing the Tories

“When a band of Tories visited Nancy they were so intent upon their dinner that their removed guns escaped notice. Until suddenly every Tory sprang up. As one stepped forward she seized a musket, fired, and he fell dead. She aimed again. Each now feared to move. Her husband arrived and they were captured.”

During the American Revolution, Nancy Hart became known for her work in opposing the Tories, English soldiers, and British sympathizers. Living on the Broad River frontier (in what is now Elbert County), Hart’s life has inspired local folklore. Accounts describe her as six feet tall, with red hair, a scarred face, and crossed eyes. She was known for her temper and fearless spirit. For most of the war, she cared for her children while her husband served in the Georgia militia under Elijah Clarke. She sometimes disguised herself as a man and served as a spy for the patriots. One story of Hart’s courage occurred when six Tories came to her cabin and demanded information about a patriot leader. Not convinced when she denied any knowledge of the man’s location, one of the Tories killed her prized turkey and ordered her to cook it for them. As she served the Tories their dinner, she passed between them and their weapons, passing the weapons one by one to her daughter waiting outside. Her daughter signaled the neighbors. When one of the soldiers noticed that she was removing the weapons and tried to stop her, Hart shot him and one other. She kept the others captive until her husband and the other men arrived. The remaining Tories were hanged. (In 1912 workmen discovered a row of six skeletons buried three feet underground near the site of the old Hart cabin, seeming to substantiate this story.)

Burning of the Yazoo Act

“Gov. Jared Irwin signed the Rescinding Yazoo Act Feb. 13, 1796. And the Yazoo Fraud Papers were burned before the Capital, in Louisville Feb. 15th 1796, with fire drawn from heaven by a magnifying lens.”

The Yazoo land fraud of 1795 resulted when the young state of Georgia realized it was too weak after the Revolution to defend its western land claims. This land was called the Yazoo because of the Yazoo River that flowed through it. The state legislature passed the Yazoo Act which sold 35 million acres (present-day Alabama and Mississippi) to speculators for $500,000. In return, legislators, state officials, and other influential Georgians received substantial money and land. When U.S. Senator James Jackson discovered the corruption behind the Yazoo Act, he resigned from the Senate and used his influence to hold hearings resulting in the 1796 Rescinding Act that nullified the sale. Governor Jared Irwin signed the law and arranged for the destruction of records connected with the sale. The burning of the Yazoo Act took place on the grounds of the capitol building in Louisville,,the state capital from 1796 until 1806. In 1802, Georgia transferred the land and the Yazoo claims to the federal government for $1.25 million.

Old Capitol, Milledgeville, Georgia

“Which was the seat of State Government from 1803 to 1865.”

In May, 1803, Georgia’s General Assembly appointed a commission to designate the site for Georgia’s fourth capital, specifying that it should be on the Oconee River. The site selected was named Milledgeville in honor of Governor John Milledge. 3,240 acres of land were allotted for the new capital. Lots were sold in the city with the proceeds used to build the capitol. The legislature moved into the building in 1807 although the finishing touches would take until 1811. Later, two additional wings were added. The Gothic revival brick building, was built as a parallelogram, with walls four feet thick. The capitol served as the seat of Georgia's government throughout the Civil War (1861-65), though it was evacuated when Union General William T. Sherman captured the city in November, 1864. Sherman spared the capitol from burning,. Following the war, the capital was moved to Atlanta and the Milledgeville capitol building served as Baldwin County's courthouse for several years. In 1879 it was became the Middle Georgia Military and Agricultural College, later known as Georgia Military College.

Capital, Atlanta, Georgia

“Atlanta became the temporary capital in 1867 and the permanent capital in 1877.”

When the capital of Georgia was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta, it occupied two temporary buildings until in September 1883 lawmakers appropriated $1 million for the construction of a new capitol. The legislature stipulated that the capitol "shall be built of granite rock and marble, as far as practicable, and that all the materials used in the construction of said building shall be those found and procured within the State of Georgia; provided, the same can be procured . . . as cheaply as other materials of like quality in other localities." Upon construction, it was determined that Indiana limestone would be the primary building material , the use of only Georgia marble and granite being impractical and too expensive. The cornerstone, all interior floors and steps, and many walls of the capitol were constructed of Georgia marble. Along the sides of the walls on the second floor is pink-hued Etowah marble. Georgia granite was used for the foundation of the building. Construction of the Classic Renaissance style structure was completed on March 20, 1889. At the time of its construction, Georgia's capitol was the tallest building in Atlanta, rising just over 272 feet from the ground floor. The outer dimensions of the dome are estimated to be approximately 75 feet in diameter. Above this dome is the observation area, topped by a smaller cupola, upon which a statue stands. The statue of a woman with a torch in one hand and a sword in the other.was referred to as the "Goddess of Liberty" in early accounts, although today she is known as "Miss Freedom." The original tin-covered dome was replaced by a gilding of Georgia gold from Dahlonega in 1958.

Portraits of Georgia Patriots of Colonial and Revolutionary Era

Includes: Lyman Hall, Archibald Bullock, William Harris Crawford, James Jackson, Button Gwinnett, William Few, John Milledge, George Walton, Abraham Baldwin, Joseph Habersham, Crawford W. Long

“Portraits of Great Georgians. Decorations significant of early Georgia history of national and local importance surround the portraits. Signing the Declaration of Independence; Signing the United States Constitution; Liberty Bell. Official Flags; Oglethorpe’s Journey to Coweta Town; First Naval Capture of the Revolution; Seige of Savannah; Capture of Governor Wright; Reading of the Declaration of Independence; Old Ironsides. Old College.”

Portraits of Georgia Patriots of Confederate and Following Era

Includes: Joseph E. Brown, Robert Toombs, Clement A. Evans, Benjamin Hill, Howell Cobb, James Longstreet Joel C. Harris Sidney Lanier T.R.R. Cobb John B. Gordon Henry Grady Alexander H. Stephens

“Portraits of Great Georgians. Surrounding these are Cross of Honour, Confederate Seal; Powder Factory Chimney; Double Barrel Cannon; Atlanta Fortifications; Heard House; United States Mint; Battle of Atlanta; The “General”; Confederate Laboratory; Toombs Oak, Lanier Oak; Man of the Twelfth of May; Confederate Flags; - Over Which the American Eagle, Emblem of a Re-United Country, Spreads this wings.”

Center portraits of the plates were chosen because these men represent Georgia in the Hall of Fame at the National Capitol in Washington.