HISTORY & CULTURE

Georgia’s southern culture is deeply rooted in its history.

Travel the scenic route of the Chieftains Trail through the Appalachian foothills to explore northwest Georgia’s Native American heritage. From mysterious rock formations high atop a wind-swept summit and ceremonial Indian mounds on the river bank below, to the Chief Vann House -“showplace of the Cherokee Nation,” immerse yourself in a time belonging to three distinct Native American cultures: Mississippian, Creek and Cherokee.

Soak up Georgia’s Colonial history along our 160 miles of Atlantic coastline. Explore Savannah’s peaceful squares where lavish fountains splash, or visit once-bustling cotton warehouses that thrive again as inns, shops, restaurants and galleries. Or visit St. Simons Island’s Fort Frederica and view the marsh where the British and Spanish fought the Battle of Bloody Marsh. All along the coast you will find forts and other historic sites that provide a glimpse of Georgia’s colonial years.

The Civil War’s impact on Georgia was greater than any other event in the state’s history with some 11,000 Georgians killed and over 100,000 total casualties. There were over 460,000 others emancipated by the war’s end. From Chickamauga, site of the second-bloodiest battle of the Civil War, to Andersonville, the most notorious prison camp of the War, Georgia has a wealth of battlefields, cemeteries, arsenals, museums, mansions and stories.

From the battlegrounds of the Civil War to civil rights, Georgia’s place in the epic struggle for equal rights is second to none. Native Atlantan Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is buried at Atlanta’s King Center and his birth home is a National Historic Site. In South Georgia, visit the Albany Civil Rights Movement Museum, located in the historic Freedom District of Downtown. The museum chronicles Albany and its role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.