Georgia in the American Revolution

The Province (and later State) of Georgia in the American Revolution was a significant battleground in the war for independence. Initially, Georgia's population was divided on how to respond to revolutionary activities and heightened tensions in other colonies. As the only colony not represented at the First Continental Congress in 1774, Georgia remained hesitant to join the revolutionary cause, owing to its prosperity under British rule and reliance on British protection against Native American attacks. However, after the outbreak of hostilities in 1775, radical Patriots (also known as Whigs) gained control of the provincial government, driving many Loyalists out and eventually joining the Second Continental Congress.

Georgia played a key role in the southern theater of the war, serving as a staging ground for Patriot raids into British-controlled Florida in 1776 and 1778. The British captured Savannah in 1778, and despite the American and French forces' combined efforts, the Siege of Savannah in 1779 failed to reclaim the city. Georgia remained under British control until their evacuation of Savannah in 1782. Throughout the war, the state witnessed significant battles and skirmishes, such as the Battle of the Rice Boats, the battles of Kettle Creek and Brier Creek, and two sieges of Augusta. The British withdrawal from Savannah marked the restoration of Georgian self-governance, and the state ultimately joined the United States as part of the newly independent nation.