Unit Study Supplement: Georgia Facts, U.S. 4th State

Georgia, the southeastern state with the largest land mass and population, is sometimes called “The Empire State of the South.” It became part of the United States on January 2, 1788 — the 4th state to join. Let’s celebrate Georgia’s anniversary on January 2nd by learning more about this state’s history. Those pieces of Georgia’s state trivia, though, are only a glimpse at all the fun facts you’ll learn about in this post from Time4Learning’s full series of United States unit study supplements.

Below, you will find information on Georgia’s colonial period, as well as fun facts about its history as a state. You will also get insights into the state’s geographical makeup. Don’t miss our lists of educational places to visit in the state, including some where you can get in free or at a discounted rate. Finally, you’ll definitely want to follow the links to learning games and printables that can enhance your state study. You can also download our list of PreK-12 interactive activities that align with your study of interesting facts about Georgia. Let the learning begin!

Georgia Fast Facts

Historical Facts About Georgia

For much of Georgia’s pre-colonial period, the Creek Nation were the main inhabitants of the area. Even after the land was colonized, Creek Indians outnumbered European colonists until at least 1760. Georgia colony history begins late, in terms of colonial settlement. In fact, it was the last of the established English colonies in North America. Here are some other Georgia colony facts your homeschoolers will want to learn about.

• The original purpose envisioned for the establishment of a colony in Georgia was for a place to keep English subjects who had been imprisoned for debtedness.
• The colony was also designed to be a buffer between the southern British colonies and Spanish-controlled Florida.
• The original European inhabitants settled in the area of what is now Savannah, GA.
• After Britain’s victory in the French and Indian war, the boundaries of the Province of Georgia were expanded, making it the largest of the original 13 colonies.
• King George II of England specified in the charter of Georgia that the colony should be named after him.
• Washington, Georgia, established in 1780, was the first city in North America to be named after George Washington.
• At the time of the American Revolution, there were already over 18,000 slaves owned in GA.

Following its ratification of the constitution and new beginnings as a state, Georgia experienced significant prosperity, in large part because of the invention of the cotton gin. Here are several more facts about Georgia that your homeschoolers will be interested to learn.

• Georgia was the first state to create a state-supported university in 1785, named Franklin College (after Benjamin Franklin.)
• It was also the site of the first full college for women in the country, established in 1836.
• The only two Georgians to receive the Nobel Peace Prize are Jimmy Carter and Martin Luther King, Jr.
• In 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union and became part of the Confederate States of America.
• In 1886, pharmacist John Pemberton created a non-alcoholic version of the French wine coca, calling it Coca-Cola, and it was first sold in Atlanta.
• The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. was founded in Savannah, GA in 1912.
• Atlanta-born minister, Martin Luther King, Jr., based his Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the state.

Geographical Facts About Georgia

While there are plenty of fun facts about Georgia that highlight the history of the state, you’ll want to make sure to cover important facts about Georgia geography, too. Exploring a map of the state will help a lot. Then download our printable Georgia map and mark it up with your child! Here are just some of the things you may want to explore and mark on your map.

• Atlanta International Airport in central GA is the world’s busiest passenger airport.
• Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River.
• Although known as the “Peach State,” Georgia is also the largest producer of peanuts and pecans in the United States.
• Throughout its history, the state of Georgia has had five different capital cities, including Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, and Atlanta. Can you locate and mark each of those on your map?
• After Texas, Georgia has the next highest number of counties of any state, at 159.
• South Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia is the largest swamp area in North America.
• Stone Mountain, just east of Atlanta in central Georgia, is really not a mountain at all, but rather the largest single block of granite in the world.

Educational Places of Interest in Georgia

Homeschooling families know that there is no better way to get children engaged with their studies than with a field trip! Georgia has a wealth of places where children can study history, geography, and many other subjects for themselves. Here are some ideas for day trips where you can get hands-on with your learning and enhance your Georgia state unit study.

• Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson (Augusta) — not only can you find out more about our 28th president at this destination, you will also learn about the succession of the south, the First World War, and the history of the Presbyterian church in the U.S.
• Georgia Sea Turtle Center (Jekyll Island) — this working hospital for sea turtles allows visitors to observe feedings, meet the current patients, participate in educational programs, and take sunrise and evening turtle walks.
• Interactive Neighborhood for Kids (Gainesville) — at this children’s museum, your homeschoolers can role play and imagine themselves as doctors and nurses, x-ray technologists, dentists, bankers, postal workers, grocery clerks, and more.
• Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University (Atlanta) — educational destination for over 30,000 school children each year. Includes large collections of Egyptian, Near Eastern, and ancient American art and artifacts.
• Tellus Science Museum (Cartersville) — began as a geological museum and has expanded to educate children and families about a multitude of science fields. Annual members have Lunch-n-Learn and Friday Night Science opportunities, too.

For additional field trip options in Georgia, visit our dedicated Georgia Field Trips with Kids page.

Georgia Freebies and Deals for Homeschoolers

• Atlanta Botanical Garden (Atlanta) — Once a year, the Garden hosts a “Homeschool Day” where families can get up to $15 off normal admission prices and participate in homeschool-geared educational activities.
• Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site (Atlanta)— Tour the place Dr. King was born and spent his childhood. You’ll also find three different museum halls dedicated to Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement here. Entrance to all exhibits is FREE.
• Mayfield Dairy Farm Tour (Braselton) — Discover the journey milk makes from the farm to the grocery store in this free company tour. Tours run every hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9am to 5pm.
• Museum of Aviation (Warner Robins) — Next to Robins Air Force Base is a facility that houses 85 historic U.S. Air Force aircraft, missiles, cockpits and award-winning exhibits and hosts numerous educational activities for children of all ages. Parking and admission at the museum are FREE.
• Museum of History and Holocaust Education (Kennesaw) — On select Wednesdays throughout the school year, homeschoolers have an opportunity to participate in hands-on activities, listen to special speakers, take tours of the facility, and watch age-appropriate films, all for FREE.

Georgia Learning Games for Children

Want to extend your Georgia unit study even farther? The following learning resources will introduce you to even more fun facts about Georgia and will also give your homeschoolers the opportunity to test their knowledge of what they’ve learned so far.