Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

December 27

 

1740 A proposal to divide Georgia into two provinces and create a president and council of assistants for each province was first brought before the Trustees by James Vernon. [See "In Their Own Words. . ." below.] On April 15, 1741, the Trustees formally approved the change.

1842 Gov. Charles McDonald signed an act bestowing all rights of Georgia citizenship on the Cherokee wife of Lewis Ralston and their children -- providing they never sought to recover any land formerly claimed by the Cherokees. Although the "Trail of Tears" has often been depicted as the forced removal of all Cherokees from Georgia in 1838, a small number of individuals and families remained in Georgia and were later given the rights of citizenship by individual acts of the General Assembly (see Dec. 29 entry)

1842 Gov. Charles McDonald signed an act repealing all laws prohibiting the free introduction of slaves into Georgia. However, on Dec. 22, 1843, this act itself was repealed.

1845 In Jefferson, Ga., Dr. Crawford Long used anesthesia on his wife during the delivery of a child--the first time anesthesia was used during childbirth.

1845 Gov. George Crawford signed an act making it illegal for a white person to contract with a black mechanic or mason -- whether free or slave -- for the construction or repair of any building. The penalty for violation of the law was a fine up to $200.

1864 Sherman's Dec. 26 orders to move part of his army into South Carolina were rescinded. Also, news reached Savannah about Gen. Hood's disastrous loses at Nashville and Franklin.

1894 Georgia's former state capitol in Atlanta -- the Kimball Opera House -- was destroyed by fire. The damage was so bad that the remains were subsequently demolished.

1942 The Atlanta Constitution reported that Rachel Pruden Herndon, secretary to black Atlanta attorney Austin Walden, had passed the Georgia Bar exam, thus making her the first black woman lawyer in Georgia history.

1956 The NAACP awarded its annual Spingarn Medal to Jackie Robinson, the first black to play baseball in the major leagues in recognition of his conduct and contributions both on and off the ball field.

1991 "Fried Green Tomatoes" -- filmed principally in Fayetteville, Juliette, Zebulon, and Senoia, Georgia -- was released nationwide to theaters on this day. For her performance in the film, Jessica Tandy would win the 1992 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

1998 Playing in the Georgia Dome, the Atlanta Falcons completed their regular season by beating the Miami Dolphins 38-16 to go 14-2 -- an all-time franchise best. In their ninth consecutive win (another franchise record), running back Jamal Anderson set several Falcons records, plus established a NFL record for most rushes in a season.

2001 In the inaugural Seattle Bowl, Georgia Tech upset No. 11 Stanford by a score of 24-14.

Georgia cities and towns first incorporated by acts approved on Dec. 27:

1836 Hawkinsville (Pulaski County)

1847 Ringgold (then Walker now Catoosa County)

1890 Helena (Telfair County), Pearson (Coffee County), and Seville (Wilcox County)
 
 

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .
 
 

1738 In London, this day's meeting of the Georgia Trustees focused on Anglican minister George Whitefield, as recorded in the diary of the Earl of Egmont:

"A commission was sealed by us as Trustees to the Revd. Mr. Whitfeild to collect money for erecting an orphan house at Savannah and a church at Ebenezer. At which time (he attending the Board) we acquainted him that we had agreed to his proposals, which were the condition on which he offered to return and be our missioner or stated minister at Savannah. We also drew up an address from the Trustees to the Bishop of London that he would be pleased to give him a letter to the Bishop of Gloucester, who was shortly to make an ordination at Oxford, to desire he would ordain him [Whitefield] priest, he being at present only deacon. We also desired Mr. Whitfeild to let us know what sum he should have collected in virtue of our deputation to him, because we should thereby be judges what further would be necessary for us to contribute to at Ebenezer. Furthermore, at his desire, we promised that a lot of five acres should be laid out peculiar for the minister of Savannah. He went away thoroughly satisfied."

Source: U.K. Historical Manuscripts Commission, Diary of the First Earl of Egmont (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1923), Vol. II, p. 516.

1740 According to Georgia's charter, no Trustee could hold civil office in the colony. Yet, in many ways, James Oglethorpe functioned as an acting governor. Eventually, many of the Trustees back in London felt that he had assumed too much civil authority and was responsible for many of their policies not being implemented in the colony. Finally, on this day, James Vernon made a proposal to fellow Trustees to dramatically alter the form and location of civil power in Georgia, as noted by the Earl of Egmont in his diary:

"He [James Vernon] therefore recommended to the gentlemen to consider seriously, whether it were not necessary to vest some person with a superior authority to act in the Province than any now there is possessed of (Col. Oglethorpe excepted) and to make such person wholly independent of Col. Oglethorpe, whose time is so much taken up in the military concerns of the colony, that 'tis impossible for him to conduct the civil affairs of it. That in his own opinion it will be necessary to create a President and Council for the North division of the Province, and a President and Council for the Southern division. That by making two Presidents we should avoid the constituting one person to govern the whole province, and so preserve the colony to ourselves; otherwise the appointing of a single person for the whole, would be in a manner surrendering our charter: for when once we had established a Governor whose choice must be approved of by the King, we could not remove him again at pleasure, and by our charter such Governor would be obliged to obey not only the Trustees' order but the orders also of any persons under His Majesty, whereby the Board of Trade (our enemies) would become our masters, and not regarding or acquainting the Trustees, would send over such orders as they pleased which might on a multitude of occasions clash or interfere with the orders sent by the Trustees: so that no gentleman would continue in the Trust to be rivalled, disputed with, and become subservient to the Board of Trade, who know as little of the colony as they do of trade. That he thought Col. [William] Stephens would in every gentleman's judgment be the fittest person for President of the North, with some handsome salary to support the dignity of it, and for the southern division, we might compliment Col. Oglethorpe with being President, he being resident there. He would not indeed act as such with any salary, the Charter not allowing any of the Trust to hold a place of profit, but probably he would execute the Office for nothing.

"He [Vernon] concluded that he made no motion at this time concerning this charge [change?] of the constitution, but desired the gentlemen would turn it in their thoughts.

"All persons came readily into his scheme, and he was directed to sketch out a plan, which he promised. . . ."

Source: U.K. Historical Manuscripts Commission, Diary of the First Earl of Egmont (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1923), Vol. III, pp. 171-172.