Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

May 17

1749 After years of complains from Georgia colonists about the prohibition on slavery, Georgia's Trustees petitioned the British Government to repeal the law prohibiting the importation of black slaves into Georgia.

1756 Britain declared war on France, which in America became known as the French and Indian War.

Although Georgia escaped most of the fighting, the treaty that would later end the war affected Georgia by making the Mississippi River – rather than Pacific Ocean – Georgia's new western boundary.

1758 In London, the Lords of Trade appointed Henry Ellis governor-in-chief of the colony of Georgia. Ellis had been designated Lieutenant Governor of Georgia on Aug. 15, 1756. On Feb. 16, 1757, he became acting governor when Gov. John Reynolds resigned his post in order to return to England to answer charges before the Lords of Trade.

1791 Pres. George Washington traveled by carriage during his Southern Tour.

Pres. George Washington Rode in a Carriage Similar to This
When He Visited Georgia in 1791

This night, on his journey from Savannah to Georgia's state capital of Augusta, Washington spent in the night in Waynesboro in Burke County.

1838 At the Cherokee Agency, Gen. Winfield Scott issued a general order to his troops outlining their expected conduct in rounding up the remaining Cherokees in the East and escorting them West.

Included in the order was his directive that: "Every possible kindness, compatible with the necessity of removal, must therefore, be shown by the troops, . . ." Click here to read the complete order.

1864 Two miles north of Adairsville, a portion of General William T. Sherman's army ran into Confederate infantry. A day of fighting known as the Battle of Adairsville produced heavy Union casualties.

Johnston had hoped to find an advantageous location among the hills and valleys for his outnumbered forces to engage Sherman. Finding none, he ordered the Confederates to withdraw southward toward Cassville.

For more, see This Week in Georgia Civil War History.

1869 Author Corra Mae White Harris was born in Elbert County, Georgia. Harris married a Methodist minister, Lundy Harris, with whom she traveled for years before he began teaching at Oxford College. Her personal life was sorrowful; two children died young, while her husband had severe emotional problems – which ultimately led to his suicide in 1910.

Harris wrote prolifically, partly as a way to deal with her family misfortunes. She was first published in 1899, doing an article for the Independent, a journal in New York. After her husband's suicide, she wrote fourteen novels, the most famous being A Circuit Rider's Wife. Much of her fiction was published serially in national publications like Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal. She also did a regular column for the Atlanta Journal.

Corra Harris died in Atlanta Feb. 7, 1935. Her papers and manuscripts are on file at the University of Georgia's Hargrett Library.

1913 In Atlanta, rumors continued to abound that more arrests were imminent in the Mary Phagan murder case. Also, there were public breaches and conflicts between the detectives on the case and the prosecuting attorney's staff. Atlanta's police chief said he had documentary evidence which would convict Mary Phagan's murderer, but he refused to release it to the public. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1933 Charles H. Brand, U.S. representative from Georgia's tenth district since 1917 and ranking Democrat on the House Banking Committee, died at his home in Athens.

1954 Although the case involved school segregation in Topeka, Kansas, the decision would soon have a profound on Georgia. It was on this day that the U.S. Supreme Court issued the first of two decisions in the case of Brown v. Board of Education.

With Chief Justice Earl Warren writing the unanimous opinion, the court struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine for public schools, stating that separate schools are inherently unequal. Further, the justices ruled that laws that segregate on the basis of race violate the 14th Amendment's "equal protection" guarantee. [Click here to view the entire text of the decision.] Legally, the court's decision in Brown only affected the Topeka board of education. And even here, the court didn't rule on how quickly the school system would have to integrate. However, it was clear that the Supreme Court was using this case to set a national precedent. Reaction was swift in Georgia, with Gov. Herman Talmadge and many white politicians denouncing the Supreme Court as having acted unconstitutionally. Their argument was that operating public schools is a power reserved to the states under the U.S. Constitution.

1970 With the Atlanta Braves playing at Cincinnati, Hank Aaron became the ninth Major League player to get career 3,000 hits, and the first to get 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1791 Continuing his journey to Augusta, Pres. George Washington made Waynesboro in Burke County, where he spent the night, as noted in his diary:

"Tuesday, 17th. Breakfasted at Spinner's 17 miles; dined at Lamberts 13; and lodged at Waynesborough (wch. was coming 6 miles out of our way) 14, in all 43 miles. Waynesborough is a small place, but the Seat of the Court of Burkes [sic] County; 6 or 8 dwelling houses in all it contains. At attempt is making (without much apparent effect) to establish an Academy at it as is the case in all the Counties."

Source: John C. Fitzpatrick (ed.), The Diaries of George Washington: 1748-1799 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1925), pp. 178.

1861 Not all Georgians were wildly enthusiastic about the outbreak of the Civil War. From Jackson County, where he was trying to raise a volunteer company, A. H. Mitchell wrote to his father:

"I am ashamed for the people of Jackson County, more especially in the upper portion of it. They are dead in ignorance and sloth. They have neither energy or patriotism. . . . The only way to get men in this part of Jackson is to draft them. It is discouraging to ride day after day and have men to render such frivolous excuses, as having had broke arms, legs and ribs and fingers and toes cut off, &c., &c. . . . I have my doubts as to getting a company made up, though I keep trying and expect to for some weeks yet. Even [among] those who are inclined to volunteer, there is always someone ready to dissuade them from it. . . .

. . . I have, in several cases, solicited for volunteers and the excuse was, 'If I had someone to take care of my family I would readily do so.' . . . What else but a draft would make such men serve their country? Nothing, nothing!"

Source: Mills Lane (ed.), "Dear Mother: Don't grieve about me. If I get killed, I'll only be dead.": Letters from Georgia Soldiers in the Civil War (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1990), pp. 10-11.

1865 Gertrude Thomas recorded the passage of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis through Augusta as prisoner:

". . . Coming home from church, I saw Major Sibley. He told me that Jeff Davis had been captured in Early County [actually Irwin County] on his way to Florida. Mr. Thomas and I were resting after dinner when Patsey came running in in great excitement, telling us that a fight was expected down the street that if anyone wished to go down town they must go on Broad instead of Greene St, that Jeff Davis was in town and a large crowd had gathered. Jeff Davis in Augusta and a prisoner. This was indeed the crowning point, the climax of our downfall. I buried my face on the pillow and wept bitterly. . . . Sunday night after Jeff Davis passed through we were seated in the piazzi. Tea being announced to be ready Mr Thomas called Jeff [their son] , and added 'Come Jeff Davis, we will give you that name. It is all we can do in honor of Davis.' 'Very well,' said I 'it may be so since you propose it.' This addition to his name was given under almost as solemn circumstances as he received the name of Jeff Thomas. I jestingly remarked that it might hereafter retard his political career. . . ."

Six years later, Mrs. Thomas would have occasion to meet Jefferson Davis and introduce his namesake to him.

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), pp. 268-269.

For more, see This Week in Georgia Civil War History.