E. Merton Coulter - Böcker

The purpose of this study was to discover what was typical in the history and character of the state during the period of the Civil War and the readjustment that followed. The author explains the early neutrality of the state that did not secede until after the war, the break-down of that neutrality, the growing dominance of the Confederacy, and postwar reconstruction.Originally published in 1926.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Few men in the history of Georgia have come down to the present in hearsay and folklore as profusely and as controversially as has James Monroe Smith, who became a millionaire farmer around the turn of the twentieth century. He was born near Washington, Georgia, in 1839 and died on his plantation a few miles from Athens in 1915.Smith’s plantation “Smithonia” was measured in terms of square miles. He developed an empire of farming and allied interests, among which was a railroad to connect his plantation with other rail lines. He served terms in the state legislature in both the house and the senate, and in 1906 ran unsuccessfully for governor.The colorful career of Smith, a bachelor, did not end with his death but was kept alive in numerous claims and counter-claims in the settling of his estate. E. Merton Coulter seeks to separate fact from fiction in his account of Smith’s varied activities and the final dissolution of his wealth.

First published in 1928, College Life in the Old South relates the early history of the University of Georgia from its founding in 1785 through the Reconstruction era. Not a dry compilation of facts, E. Merton Coulter's classic study portrays the struggles and accomplishments of America's first chartered state university.Coulter recounts, among other things, how Athens was chosen as the university's location; how the state tried to close the university and refused to give it a fixed allowance until long after the Civil War; the early rules and how students invariably broke them; the days when the Phi Kappa and Demosthenian literary societies ruled the campus; and the vast commencement crowds that overwhelmed Athens to feast on oratory and watermelons. Coulter's account, interspersed with delightful anecdotes, not only depicts the early university but also shows its importance in the antebellum South.

This list of settlers in Georgia up to 1741 is taken from a manuscript volume of the Earl of Egmont, purchased with twenty other volumes of manuscripts on early Georgia history by the University of Georgia in 1947. The 2,979 settlers are listed in alphabetical order, followed by their age, occupation, date of embarcation, date of arrival, lot in Savannah or in Frederica, and (where applicable) "Dead, Quitted, or Run Away." Footnotes give additional information concerning many of the people listed. This volume was published in 1949 to help scholarly research in the history of colonial of Georgia.

The first gold rush in American history occurred in north Georgia; it preceded the mining booms in the West by almost two decades. Published in 1956, Auraria tells the story of the mining town at the center of Georgia's gold frenzy. Auraria, which reached its zenith in the 1830s, eventually faded into a ghost town by the twentieth century. E. Merton Coulter gives readers more than a local study by placing Auraria's fascinating story in the context of larger regional and national developments.

Published in 1972, this biographical study examines Daniel Lee (1802–1890), an agriculturist who is considered to be a forefather to today’s scientific farming. Lee dedicated himself the advancement of farming through the diversification of crops and the use of scientific methods. He was the editor of both the Genesse Farmer and the Southern Cultivator and wrote numerous articles about agricultural chemistry. Lee was appointed the first professor of agriculture at the University of Georgia, which solidified his importance in the agricultural world.

Published in 1964, this biography of Joseph Vallence Bevan tells the story of Georgia’s first official historian. Born in Ireland, Bevan moved with his family to Georgia at a young age. He attended the University of Georgia and the College of South Carolina before continuing his education in England. There he met William Godwin, an influential political philosopher, journalist, and novelist, who wrote Letter of Advice To a Young American: On the Course of Studies It Might Be Most Advantageous for Him To Pursue for Bevan.Back in the U.S., Bevan edited the Augusta Chronicle & Georgia Gazette, studied law, served on the Georgia legislature, and became coeditor and owner of the Savannah Georgian. In 1824, by recommendation of Governor George M. Troup, the legislature appointed Bevan as the first official historian of Georgia. His main duties were to arrange the state archives, publish selections from the archives, and to write a history of the state. Bevan was unable to complete a history of Georgia before his death in 1830 at the young age of thirty-two. However, he paved the road for future historians making important acquisitions of transcripts from Great Britain which describe the colonial history of Georgia.

These nine essays originally appeared in the Georgia Historical Quarterly and range in subject from a group of Arcadians expelled from Nova Scotia that settled in colonial Georgia to the origins of the University of Georgia. Other essays examine the Woolfolk murder case that attracted national attention; Henry M. Turner, a black legislator during the Reconstruction; and John Howard Payne, the author of "Home, Sweet Home."

E. Merton Coulter’s biography of William Montague Browne portrays the life of an Irish journalist living in the north who moved south to adopt the Confederate cause. Born in County Mayo, Ireland, Browne moved to the U. S. in 1852 to be an editor at the New York Journal of Commerce. In 1859 he moved to Washington, D.C., where he edited and owned the Washington Constitution. As a journalist, Browne was an ardent champion of the southern cause and when Georgia seceded he moved south. During the Civil War he served as Director of Conscription in Georgia, aide-de-camp to President Davis, and brigadier general. Browne also took part in the defense of Savannah.After the war, Browne moved to Athens, Georgia, where he edited the Southern Banner, studied law, was admitted to the Georgia bar, and tried farming on a plantation in Oglethorpe County. Later he founded and edited the Southern Farm and Home and became secretary of the Carolina Life Insurance Co., of which Jefferson Davis was president. After the failure of this company, Browne returned to Athens and was elected the first Professor of History and Political Science at the University of Georgia.

William Stephens was Secretary of the Province of Georgia from 1737 to 1750 and was President from 1741 for ten years. He was sent to America by the Trustees of Georgia, who resided in London, to keep them informed on conditions in the colony. Besides writing numerous letters to the Trustees, Stephens kept a journal which he sent to them periodically. The journal down to 1741 was printed by the Trustees. Here in this volume (and the volume for 1743–1745) the continuation of the journal is published for the first time.Through his journal Stephens undertook to inform the Trustees of everything which happened in Georgia, from the most trivial to the most important. This close-up view of Georgia, the details of the everyday life of the people, and the record of significant development in the colony all make his journal a valuable document in American colonial history.

William Stephens was Secretary of the Province of Georgia from 1737 to 1750 and was President from 1741 for ten years. He was sent to America by the Trustees of Georgia, who resided in London, to keep them informed on conditions in the colony. Besides writing numerous letters to the Trustees, Stephens kept a journal which he sent to them periodically. The journal down to 1741 was printed by the Trustees. Here in this volume (and the volume for 1743–1745) the continuation of the journal is published for the first time.Through his journal Stephens undertook to inform the Trustees of everything which happened in Georgia, from the most trivial to the most important. This close-up view of Georgia, the details of the everyday life of the people, and the record of significant development in the colony all make his journal a valuable document in American colonial history.

William Stephens was Secretary of the Province of Georgia from 1737 to 1750 and was President from 1741 for ten years. He was sent to America by the Trustees of Georgia, who resided in London, to keep them informed on conditions in the colony. Besides writing numerous letters to the Trustees, Stephens kept a journal which he sent to them periodically. The journal down to 1741 was printed by the Trustees. Here in this volume (and the volume for 1741–1743) the continuation of the journal is published for the first time.Through his journal Stephens undertook to inform the Trustees of everything which happened in Georgia, from the most trivial to the most important. This close-up view of Georgia, the details of the everyday life of the people, and the record of significant development in the colony all make his journal a valuable document in American colonial history.

William Stephens was Secretary of the Province of Georgia from 1737 to 1750 and was President from 1741 for ten years. He was sent to America by the Trustees of Georgia, who resided in London, to keep them informed on conditions in the colony. Besides writing numerous letters to the Trustees, Stephens kept a journal which he sent to them periodically. The journal down to 1741 was printed by the Trustees. Here in this volume (and the volume for 1741–1743) the continuation of the journal is published for the first time.Through his journal Stephens undertook to inform the Trustees of everything which happened in Georgia, from the most trivial to the most important. This close-up view of Georgia, the details of the everyday life of the people, and the record of significant development in the colony all make his journal a valuable document in American colonial history.

The Journal of Peter Gordon, 1732–1735, provides a rare first-hand account of one of the original Georgia colonists. In his journal, Gordon, who served as chief bailiff of Savannah, Georgia, documents the challenges faced by the original settlers, criticism of the Trustees’ policies for the colony, and interactions with indigenous peoples. His journal provides unique insight into the establishment of one of America’s oldest colonies.The Georgia Open History Library has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this collection, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Journal of Peter Gordon, 1732–1735, provides a rare first-hand account of one of the original Georgia colonists. In his journal, Gordon, who served as chief bailiff of Savannah, Georgia, documents the challenges faced by the original settlers, criticism of the Trustees’ policies for the colony, and interactions with indigenous peoples. His journal provides unique insight into the establishment of one of America’s oldest colonies.The Georgia Open History Library has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this collection, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Old Petersburg and the Broad River Valley of Georgia details colonial life at Petersburg, Georgia, at the junction of Broad and Savannah Rivers. A town that grew, flourished, and eventually disappeared, Petersburg was once a valuable and unique outlet for river trade. This volume highlights various aspects of this river town, including its founding, politics, businesses, and religious practices.The Georgia Open History Library has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this collection, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Old Petersburg and the Broad River Valley of Georgia details colonial life at Petersburg, Georgia, at the junction of Broad and Savannah Rivers. A town that grew, flourished, and eventually disappeared, Petersburg was once a valuable and unique outlet for river trade. This volume highlights various aspects of this river town, including its founding, politics, businesses, and religious practices.The Georgia Open History Library has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this collection, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.