Georgia Guide
Georgia was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence, despite a large population of people loyal to the crown. Following the war, it became the fourth state of the United States of America after ratifying the United States Constitution on 2 January 1788. Georgia established its first state constitution in 1777.
Georgia has had five official state capitals: colonial Savannah, which later alternated with Augusta; then for a decade at Louisville (pronounced Lewis-ville), and from 1806 through the American Civil War, at Milledgeville. In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth capital of the state. The state's legislature also met at other temporary sites, including Macon, especially during the Civil War.
Atlanta is located in north-central Georgia, atop a ridge southeast of the Chattahoochee River. It has been Georgia's capital city since 1868. Georgia celebrated its bicentennial in 1996.
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The obverse (front) of the seal is centered around an arch with three pillars, the arch symbolizing the state's Constitution and the pillars representing the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The words of the state motto, "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation", are wrapped around the pillars, being guarded by a man (possibly a soldier from the American Revolution) with a drawn sword, representing the military's defense of the Constitution. This image also serves as the state's coat of arms.
The front side motto, surrounding the coat of arms, consists of the words "State of Georgia" in the top half of the circle and the year 1776 on the bottom, commemorating the date of the Declaration of Independence. The date was originally 1799 (the adoption of the seal) but was changed in 1914.
On the less-prominent reverse of the seal, there is an image of Georgia's coast, with a ship (bearing the American flag) arriving to take aboard tobacco and cotton, symbolizing Georgia's export trade. There is another boat, bringing the crops from the inland regions, representing the state's "internal traffic". In the back, there is a man plowing and a flock of sheep. As the motto around the top indicates, this collection of images represents the state's "agriculture and commerce". The date here is also 1776.
