Precolonial History
Explore Georgia’s precolonial times and you’ll find a history that’s as rich as its diverse landscape. From early Spanish missions to the Revolutionary War, Georgia’s heritage is filled with tales of adventure, conflict, struggles and a fighting spirit to survive.
Unlock the history of Georgia’s past with a look at its precolonial history. For over a hundred years, Native Americans in Georgia encountered the French, Spanish and British as they fought for the New World. But before the Europeans arrived, Native American tribes flourished in Georgia as evidenced by the numerous trails, mounds, sites and legends that sprinkle the countryside. Cherokee, Etowah, Kolomoki and Chehaw are some of the tribes who have left mark on the state.
When you visit the Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site in Cartersville, you’ll see 54 protected acres that include six earthen mounds, a defensive ditch, plaza and village area. Between the years 1000 and 1550, this site was home to several thousand Native Americans. Travel to Calhoun and experience what was once the Cherokee’s national capital in 1825. Tour the courthouse, council house and missionary home, and catch a glimpse of one of the earliest attempts at national self-government by an Indian tribe.
As you continue to delve into Georgia history you’ll learn that Spain’s early foothold at St. Augustine, Florida spurred the establishment of a string of missions up the Georgia coast and inland. Once England established a colony in South Carolina (1670), conflict erupted and Georgia became a battleground between the colonial powers.
In 1540, famed Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto led an armed expeditionary force from Florida into Georgia in hopes of finding gold. Cartersville and Rome are among several communities located along the famous De Soto Trail. California and Texas may be best known for having Spanish missions, but by the mid-1500’s, Franciscans priests traveling with de Soto had established missions on St. Simons and Jekyll Islands.
Whether you visit the Augusta Museum of History, Historic Downtown Brunswick, Cumberland Island’s National Seashore or Fort King George - the state’s oldest military fort - your link to Georgia’s historic past is easy to navigate, exciting to explore and fun for the entire family.
Times may have changed since visitors first set foot on Georgia’s soil, but an enriching journey awaits the modern-day traveler who discovers Georgia’s early frontier.
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Related Sites:
New Georgia Encyclopedia
Georgia Historical Society
Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site
New Echota Historic Site
Augusta Museum of History
Historic Downtown Brunswick
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Fort King Georgia