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Georgia History Exam Questions With
Revised Answers
Coastal Plain - answer✔✔commonly called the Pine Barrens, stretches from the Atlantic Ocean
150 miles inland to the fall line. Generally, the land is flat and the soil sandy. It covers 60% of
the state.
Piedmont - answer✔✔known as the foothills, upland, or upcountry region, covers 30% of the
state and is characterized by rolling hills. It is the most fertile and most populous region of the
state.
Blue Ridge - answer✔✔contains the tallest mountains in the state. It is characterized by rocky
slopes.
Plateau - answer✔✔characterized by both flat and gently sloping land. It is the smallest region of
Georgia.
Ridge and Valley - answer✔✔Located in the north between the Plateau and Blue Ridge, the
valleys consist of rich soils. The land is characterized by the growth of various hardwoods. The
land is also used for pasture.
Describe the lives of the Native Americans of the Mississippian Period. Where did they live. -
answer✔✔Native Americans searched out areas often near rivers with long growing seasons and
large deer populations for hunting.
What type of society did they have. What did they eat? What types of structures did they build? -
answer✔✔Society was stratified and hierarchical. They had an agrarian society, eating beans,
corn, and squash. They built permanent settlements. They built wooden palisades, and built clay
houses, as well as large earthen mounds for various purposes.
Which Europeans were the first to arrive in what is now Georgia? Who led this expedition? -
answer✔✔Spanish under Hernando de Soto (1540).
What impact did the Spanish have on the Native Americans? - answer✔✔The Native Americans
were no match for the diseases (measles & smallpox), guns, swords, and horses brought by the
Spanish.
What did the Spanish call Georgia and why? - answer✔✔Guale; the Indian's main chief on the
coastal island of St. Catherine's.
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Besides the Spanish, what other European nations were interested in and tried to establish a
presence in Georgia? - answer✔✔England and France.
What were the 3 reasons for the establishment of Georgia? - answer✔✔Philanthropic: to provide
a new start for the worthy poor of England and a refuge for persecuted protestants in Europe.
Military: to establish a defensive buffer against the Spanish in Florida
Economic: to increase Britain's wealth by establishing a colony which would fit into the
mercantilist system and produce exotic items (silk, wine, olives
What 3 categories of restrictions did the Trustee place on Georgia's settlers? -
answer✔✔Restrictions on land ownership
Prohibition of hard liquor, (esp. rum, excluding beer and wine)
Prohibition of slavery
Describe Oglethorpe's role(s) in the settlement of Georgia. - answer✔✔He was a trustee and one
of the first settlers to arrive in 1733. He met with Tomochichi (chief of Yamacraws --Creek) to
discuss trade and constructed a settlement at Savannah. He helped establish Augusta and Ft.
Frederica.
From whom did Oglethorpe get permission to settle on Yamacraw Bluff? -
answer✔✔Tomochichi (chief of Yamacraws --Creek)
How did the War of Jenkins Ear effect Georgia? Who won the Battle of Bloody Marsh? Where
was the battle fought? - answer✔✔Oglethorpe commanded troops in defense of the colony. The
British beat the Spanish at the battle of Bloody Marsh due to Oglethorpe. It was fought near Ft.
Frederica.
Who were the malcontents and what was their primary demand?
How did the introduction of slavery effect Georgia's development? - answer✔✔Group of people
who came after the original settlers did. They came without help from the Trustees so their
loyalty to the existing laws and framework was lacking. They wanted the laws on land ownership
and slavery to change.
Who were Georgia's 3 royal governors? Provide a brief description of each. - answer✔✔Captain
John Reynolds served only a short time (1754-57) because of his unpopularity.
His replacement was Henry Ellis, who proved to be a capable governor. Ellis, however, did not
like the Georgia heat, so he served in Georgia for only a short time as well (1757-1760). The
longest serving, most capable and influential of the three was James Wright. Wright served as
Georgia's royal governor from 1760 to 1782. Wright expanded and opened Georgia's frontier to
farmers by obtaining peaceful land cessions from the Native Americans, specifically the Creek.
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Describe Georgia's economy under royal government. - answer✔✔One crop plantations (mostly
rice) based on slave labor, lumber, livestock, and fur trading. The prohibition of slavery in
Georgia was one of the main points of contention between the settlers and the Trustees. By the
end of the Trusteeship, slavery had been allowed in the colony (1750). Georgia slaves arrived
from other British colonies, especially South Carolina and the West Indies. By 1773, Georgia's
population was 31,000; slaves made up almost half of that number (whites - 18,000; slaves -
15,000).
What were the requirements for voting in colonial Georgia? - answer✔✔Voting was limited to
white males who owned at least 50 acres of land
How did Georgia's boundaries change between 1733-1775? - answer✔✔Georgia's boundaries
also underwent several changes during the period it existed as a royal colony. Originally, the
land granted to the Trustees set the boundary of Georgia between the Savannah and Altamaha
rivers. The southern boundary was eventually extended to the St. Mary's River. Georgia's land
claims originally extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In 1763, the western boundary of
Georgia was set a the Mississippi River
Why was Georgia late in joining the rebellion against Great Britain? - answer✔✔Georgia was
the youngest and weakest of the British colonies. It was still heavily dependent upon the British,
especially for defense against the Creek Indians, who were reluctant to cede further territory.
James Wright, as royal governor, was a capable leader and was respected by the people of
Georgia. In part as a result of his continuing influence, Georgia was the only colony to obey the
Stamp Act. Furthermore, it was also the only one of the thirteen colonies not represented at the
First Continental Congress.
What Georgians signed the Declaration of Independence? Which of these lost his life in a duel
with a fellow Georgian? - answer✔✔Three of its representatives signed the Declaration of
Independence: George Walton, Lyman Hall, Button Gwinnett. The duel fought was between
Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett, in which McIntosh killed Gwinnett, one of the signers
of the Declaration of Independence.
Name 3 of the provisions for the Constitution of 1777. - answer✔✔This new constitution
provided for (1) a unicameral legislative assembly, and (2) a governor elected by the legislative
assembly. Under this constitution, John Adam Treutlen of Effingham became the first governor
of Georgia.
List the obstacles faced by the Whigs during the Revolutionary War. - answer✔✔For instance,
they may have been united in their opposition of the British, but they did not always agree
amongst themselves about the future of Georgia. In addition to political and personal dissension,
Georgia Patriots faced the problem of apathy and division among the general populace. Of the
thirteen colonies, Georgia had one of the largest Tory populations. Furthermore, many
individuals remained apathetic about choosing sides, and were often more concerned about
