Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

March 6

1856 Gov. Herschel Johnson signed legislation creating Towns County as Georgia's 118th county. Created from portions of Rabun and Union counties, the new county was named for George Towns, former Georgia governor (1847-1851) who died two years earlier.

1857 The U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dred Scott decision. The case had been filed in St. Louis by Dred Scott, a slave who filed a lawsuit seeking his freedom.

The Supreme Court, however, turned his case down, holding that black Americans were not citizens. Associate Justice James M. Wayne of Georgia issued a concurring opinion supporting the court's decision.

Though supported by politicians and newspaper editors in the South, the Dred Scott decision met angry opposition in the North and was an important factor leading to Abraham Lincoln's election three years later. [Click here to read the about the history and ramifications of the decision.]

1933 During the Depression, America's banking system seemed on the verge of collapsing, leading to nationwide run on banks to withdraw gold and currency.

On this day, Georgia banks closed as Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a nationwide four-day bank holiday in an attempt to save the nation's faltering banking system. Most banks reopened after a 10-day "holiday". However, many banks in Georgia, and indeed across the nation, permanently closed during the Depression.

1945 Gov. Ellis Arnall signed legislation creating the Veterans Resettlement Corporation. The new agency was empowered to issue revenue bonds to make loans insured by the U.S. government to returning veterans of World War II in order to allow them to purchase or construct homes, farms, and business property.

1946 The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Primus E. King, an African American from Columbus, Georgia, could vote in the Georgia Democratic primary. King had brought the suit after being prohibited from voting in July 1944. The court ruled this violated the 14th, 15th, and 17th amendments, and that the Georgia's white primary was a state election in which the Democratic Party acted as an instrumentality of the state.

1964 Georgia-born Elijah Muhammad [shown at podium at right of photo) renamed Cassius Clay [in black suit at left of photo] as Muhammad Ali.

Georgia cities and towns first incorporated by acts approved by the governor on March 6:

1856 Weston (Kinchafoonee now Webster County)

1866 Vernonburg (Chatham County)

1939 Edgehill (Glascock County)
 
 

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1736 John Brownfield came to Savannah in February 1736 to represent the interests of an English firm wanting to sell goods and merchandise in Georgia. However, he found that high prices and buying on credit had some colonists deeply in debt. Even worse, some Georgia colonists were being jailed because of their debts. Brownfield wrote the Trustees, who must have been shocked since opposition to jailing debtors was one of the reasons for the origin of the Georgia movement in England:

"I had leave to go up to Savannah on the 13th in order to settle my own little affairs. I found there a cargo of goods consigned to me from Mr. Tuckwell and had the favour of putting them in Your Honours' magazine for some days 'till I could get a house to put them into. Several of the freeholders told me that the town was already overstocked with goods and trade in general at a very low ebb. I could not help being a little surprised at what they said but upon diligent inquiry found it to be true. The present shopkeepers have used such extortion, partly by taking advantage of the peoples' necessities, partly through the extravagant prices they themselves paid for goods from Carolina, that they are generally hated, but more particularly so for their having frequently taken out executions and imprisoned the persons indebted to them after two or three months' credit. These means have been chiefly used a by a number of Scotch gentlemen who arrived here soon after Mr. Oglethorpe went for England in 1734. Instead of improving their lands they fell into trade and thereby dispirited the poor inhabitants of Savannah from any attempts that way. When they had engrossed most part of the trade they advanced their prices and by fair outward pretenses drew abundance of the people into debt, soon after which they threatened to serve executions in order to get houses and lands mortgaged to them and succeeded with a few weak men. They have drained the ready money into their own hands but seem now to be at a full stand. The people in general hope that Mr. Tuckwell's wholesale warehouse under Your Honours' protection will rescue them from future extortion. I intend to set up three of four retailers in Savannah and to make it their interest to deal reasonably by fixing moderate prices at which they shall sell and allowing them commission for their trouble. But I shall make it my chief rule to decline the giving of credit since that has proved very hurtful to those who have received it, for they quitted all thoughts of labour upon finding that goods could be had without. When the workmen had contracted a habit of idleness, their creditors (the shopkeepers) were enraged and served executions upon them. . . ."

Source: Mills Lane (ed.), General Oglethorpe's Georgia: Colonial Letters, 1733-1743 (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1990), Vol. I, pp. 248-249.

1838 The Treaty of New Echota, signed in Dec. 29, 1835 by one faction of the Cherokee Indians, obligated the entire nation to leave their homeland and move to the west. Many Cherokees, however, refused to acknowledge the validity of that treaty. As the deadline for removal approached, there was uncertainty as to whether the Cherokees would voluntarily leave. From Van's Valley in Floyd County, J. Hemphill wrote Georgia Gov. George Gilmer with bad news:

". . . I have just been hand[ed] a letter from Captain A. Bishop, who makes the following remarks: The Indian news are rather unfavorable. Great excitement and alarm prevails amongst the citizens and, I am inclined to believe, not without good cause. Perhaps no immediate danger is at hand, but not far ahead. I am apprised that a great many others differ with me on this subject, and they may be honest, too, but I really think that if our people will pursue a proper and prudent course towards this people that may be removed without spilling a drop of blood. I am fearful that the state of excitement that is said to exist in some sections (and a great part of without a cause) will lead our people to do acts of violence that may lead to difficulties. One great cause of alarm and excitement originates from the indifference manifested by the Indians about the treaty and the non-preparation of them for emigration. Their intention is to carry out Ross's policy, that is after having recourse to every means of resistance and failing, then to suffer themselves to be dragged off by government officers and troops. And in my humble opinion that is the only call for a force: To gather the Indians and drive them on to the place of rendezvous. They never will resist the forces. They have not the means of defence. They have neither arms nor ammunition, nor places to flee to."

Source: Edward J. Cashin (ed.), A Wilderness Still the Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia, A Documentary History (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1994), pp. 128-129.

1870 Gertrude Thomas recorded her humiliation at having her old house sold at auction:

". . . Mr. Thomas rode into town. I remained at home and determined I would not take time to think. I went out into the vegetable and flower garden and had beets planted and a hedge of flowering peas prepared leading from the wing room. I tried to interest myself but the thought would constantly occur 'Now at this hour, the announcement is being made that' – What shall I say? Not that my husband has failed for that was known last summer when the goods were sold at the store, but this was an additional calling of the public to notice our degradation, perhaps that is too strong a word, but Oh it is humiliating – Ma consoles me by telling me that 'we are not the first, or only people who have been advertised by the sheriff.' I know that, but it is little consolation to a person terribly deformed to know that there are some cases in the world as bad & perhaps worse than his own. . . . We have enough left yet of this world's goods to keep hunger from the door and my boys will certainly be able to support themselves and aid their sisters. If Mr. Thomas was more hopeful it would infuse new life and vigor into our little family circle. . . ."

Source: Virginia Ingraham Burr (ed.), The Secret Eye: The Journal of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1848-1889 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990), p. 331.