Atlanta, GA History
Atlanta, GA has been an important city in the Southeastern part of the US. It has a long and fascinating history and certainly played a vital part in the Civil War. Let’s discuss more about this interesting city.
Before Europeans arrived in northern Georgia, the Creek and Cherokee Indians inhabited the area of what is now Atlanta. A Creek Indian village was located where the Peachtree creek flows into the Chattahoochee river. The Indians in that area were systematically removed from northern Georgia from 1802 to 1825. The area originally inhabited by the Creeks was integrated into an area which is now Metro Atlanta. This occurred in 1821.
White settlers began to arrive in 1822 and the nearby city of Decatur was founded the following year in 1823.
In 1836, the Georgia General Assembly voted to build the Western and Atlantic railroad in order to provide a reliable transportation link between the port of Savannah and the Midwest. Initially the route was planned to run from Chattanooga to a spot which was simply called Terminus. This would eventually be linked to the Georgia Railroad.
An engineer was asked to determine the best location for Terminus. He ultimately chose a location called five points. About a year later, the area around the railroad terminus developed into a settlement called Terminus and then Thrasherville (named for John Thrasher, a local merchant).
By 1842 this settlement consisted of six buildings and had 30 residents. It was renamed Marthasville. Around this time the Chief Engineer of the Georgia railroad recommended renaming the area Atlanta-Pacifica to promote the rail connection to the West. It was shortened to Atlanta and the area was incorporated in December of 1847. By 1860 the area had grown to 9,554 residents.
As the Civil War progressed, Atlanta was an important hub due to the multiple railroad links serving the area. In 1864, following the capture of Chattanooga the Union Army invaded north Georgia. Atlanta was invaded and most of the city was completely burned to the ground following evacuation of its residents.
The city was rebuilt following the Civil War only to suffer extensive losses from a major fire some years later. However it again was rebuilt and continued to develop as an important center of commerce and industry.
During World War II, several manufacturing companies such as Bell Aircraft maintained a factory in the area. This helped to grow the area along with extensive growth which came from a number of active military bases. And shortly after the war, the Federal Centers for Disease Control were established in the Atlanta area.
During the 1950’s an extensive freeway system enabled middle class people to relocate from the city to the suburbs. This helped to drive up the overall population of the metro area but reduced the population in the city itself.
During the 1960’s, Atlanta played a key role in the Civil Rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Ralph Abernathy and students from Atlanta’s predominantly black colleges and universities were very much involved in the movement.
The area continued to evolve and today Atlanta is a very vital and important part of the South. It has a rich history and a promising future.