Georgia in the American Revolution
Georgia in the American Revolution
Georgia started the war unsure about joining the rebellion. It was the only colony not at the First Continental Congress in 1774, because many Georgians prospered under British rule and valued British protection from Native attacks. After fighting began in 1775, radical Patriots gained control of Georgia’s government, drove out many Loyalists, and by 1776 Georgia aligned with the American cause.
In the early years, Georgia was a southern battleground. The war reached Georgia’s backcountry, where clashes and fear of Loyalist uprisings stirred violence. In Savannah, a harsh episode occurred when Loyalists and Patriots clashed over supporting the Association to cut trade with Britain. The provincial Congress met in Savannah and then Augusta, trying to set up a local government. They created a simple, new framework for governing and began to organize militia and local leadership. A controversial figure, Thomas Brown, stirred trouble by opposing the Association, provoking brutal acts against him and fears of Loyalist uprisings.
As 1776 arrived, Georgia’s leadership moved toward independence. Archibald Bulloch became a key leader, and George Walton, Lyman Hall, and Button Gwinnett joined the effort to sign the Declaration of Independence. Georgia’s people and leaders also began to craft their own rules of government. In May 1776, with Savannah under threat, the state adopted a set of “Rules and Regulations” for a new government. In February 1777, Georgia adopted its first state constitution, one of the most democratic of the era. It created Georgia’s first counties and set up a one-house legislature, with governors and judges elected by the people. Button Gwinnett served as speaker, and the constitution reflected fierce local debate between radical and conservative Whigs.
From 1776 to 1779, Georgia faced three major British efforts to reclaim the state and push the war south. The British aimed to capture Savannah and use East Florida as a base. In 1778, Campbell’s army landed near Savannah and took the city in 1779 after defeating the Georgians defending it. The Americans and their French allies tried to regain Savannah in the Siege of Savannah (1779), but the attack failed. The siege was costly for both sides; Count Casimir Pulaski, the Polish volunteer, died leading troops, and the French forces eventually withdrew.
While Savannah remained in British hands, the backcountry saw important battles that shaped Georgia’s future. At Kettle Creek in February 1779, a mixed force of South Carolinians, Georgians, and militia defeated Loyalist and Indian forces, forcing the British to pull back from the backcountry. A few weeks later at Brier Creek, the British won a major victory and briefly regained control of southern Georgia. These back-and-forth moves showed the war’s complexity in the South and highlighted two important themes: the fighting was fiercely local, and Georgia’s political system was experimenting with self-rule even as royal authority lingered.
By 1779, the British had reasserted control in several areas, and Savannah remained a stronghold. In July 1779, General Sir James Wright tried to restore royal government, while French fleets and armies tried to assist the Americans. The French force, under Admiral d’Estaing, landed near Savannah and surprised the British, but the assault ultimately failed to recapture the city. The fighting continued, and in 1780-81 the British tried again to tighten their grip on the South, with Lord Cornwallis taking commands and Bethune-like actions spreading through the backcountry.
In Augusta, the backcountry war intensified. Loyalist resistance and Whig efforts culminated in repeated fighting. In 1780-81, Nathanael Greene, commanding the Southern forces, and his allies from South Carolina and North Carolina pressed into Georgia. They assisted Elijah Clarke, Elijah Clarke’s band, and Henry “Lighthorse Harry” Lee’s forces in attacking Augusta. After intense sieges and battles, including Lee’s siege works, Augusta fell to American forces in 1781.
With Augusta retaken, American negotiators in Paris pressed for Georgia’s independence. The state reunited its scattered legislature in Augusta and began to stabilize its civil government. General Anthony Wayne then led American troops into Savannah in 1782, and the backcountry war began to wind down. Georgia passed laws to confiscate Loyalist property and to pardon those who joined the Georgia militia or the Georgia Legion in support of independence.
British forces finally evacuated Savannah on July 11, 1782. Georgia’s government reassembled in Savannah, and in the aftermath many Loyalists left. Large numbers of white Georgians and enslaved people moved to East Florida, Jamaica, or Great Britain. As peace came in 1783, Georgia claimed a vast frontier, extending to the Mississippi River, a claim disputed by Native peoples in the region.
Georgia emerged from the Revolution with a new constitution, a wave of political experimentation, and a commitment to self-government, even as it faced the challenges of war, shifting loyalties, and the task of building a new state. The war’s end brought independence and set Georgia on a path toward joining the United States, despite the lingering disputes with Native nations and the enduring effort to define citizenship and property rights in the new nation.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:57 (CET).