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Georgia
 
Travel America

Learn before you travel. This section of Fun Easy English focuses on facts and other cool stuff about your favorite U.S. state. This is great English reading practice. This page focuses on the state of Georgia.
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Georgia

Known today as the "Peach State," Georgia, founded in 1733, is one of the original 13 states. It was named in honor of England's King George II. During the Civil War, the fall of Atlanta was a crucial turning point in the defeat of the South. Today, Atlanta, which became Georgia's capital in 1868, is a thriving city with major national corporations, and it is considered the economic and cultural center of the Southeast. The state flower is the Cherokee rose.
Flag of GeorgiaGeorgia State Flag


Georgia adopted a new state flag in 2003. Georgia's current flag has three bars of equal width - two outer red bars and a white bar in the center. There is a square blue canton the width of two bars in the upper left corner.

Georgia's coat of arms is centered on the canton with the words "In God We Trust" below (both in gold). The state coat of arms is also the central design on the obverse [main face] of Georgia's state seal. Circling the coat of arms are thirteen white stars (symbols of Georgia and the other twelve original states that formed the United States of America).

Georgia leads the nation in the number and variety of different state flags it has flown.
Source: State Symbols USA
 
The great seal of the state of GeorgiaGeorgia State Facts

Picture: state seal of Georgia
State Capital Atlanta
Nickname Peach State / Goober state/ Empire State of the South
Motto Wisdom, justice, and moderation
Statehood January 2, 1788 (4th)
Origin of Name Named for King George II of England.
Largest Cities Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah, Macon, Albany
Border States Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Area 57,919 sq. mi.; 21st largest
State Bird Brown Thrasher
State Flower Cherokee Rose (rosa laevigata)
State Tree Live oak (quercus virginiana)
State Song Georgia on My Mind
Map showing the location of GeorgiaTravel and tourism site for Georgia - This state travel and territorial tourism site provides ideas for your vacations, meetings, and more.
Georgia Stories
 
Gold Rush Days / World Open Gold Panning Championship

You've probably heard of the California Gold Rush of 1848. But did you know there was also a gold rush in Georgia?

Gold was discovered in Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1828. Nestled in the mountains of northern Georgia, Dahlonega is home to the Consolidated Gold Mine. At the turn of the 20th century, the mine was reportedly the largest gold mining operation east of the Mississippi River. In 1901, during a cleanup, 54 pounds of gold were recovered from it.

Each October, Dahlonega, which comes from the Indian word "talonaga," meaning "precious metal," celebrates the first big gold rush with a two-day festival that has grown into one of the biggest events in the area. Another festival, called the World Open Gold Panning Championship, began in California in 1961 to remember the 1842 discovery of gold in Los Angeles County. This festival moved to the Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega in the late 1980s. The Championship includes a contest in which the winner is the fastest person to pan eight nuggets of gold from a full pan of sand. How long do you think it would take you to pan gold nuggets?
 
Westville Yule Log Ceremony

Ever wondered what a Southern country village was like in the 1800s? If you were to visit Westville Village in Georgia, you would get a good idea. Called a "living history museum," Westville Village is a town completely restored to what it was like in 1850 -- with authentic pre-Civil War-era buildings. The entire town is a museum of what life was like in the mid-19th century.

Today, visitors to Westville can observe craftspeople practicing their trades, such as blacksmithing, pottery, basket-making, spinning, weaving, farming, fireplace cooking, candle-making and lye soap-making.

The village also revives old holiday traditions. At Christmastime one of the celebrations is a Yule Log ceremony. On Christmas Eve a large, freshly cut log is decorated and brought to a fireplace. Prayers are then recited while the log is sprinkled with oil, salt, and special wine and then lit. It was believed that the remains of the burned log would protect the house from lightning and evil powers. This custom dates back to the 12th century and was known in most European countries before it became popular in the U.S.
 
Prater's Mill

Twice a year Northwestern Georgia celebrates its cultural traditions on the grounds of a historic water-powered mill. The Prater Mill, located on the Coahulla Creek, was built by Benjamin Franklin Prater in 1855. During the Civil War, the mill was used as a campsite for soldiers on both sides. Since it was considered an important source of food, it was not destroyed. The Prater family operated the mill until the 1950s.

On Mother's Day and Columbus Day weekends, the mill goes back into operation by grinding yellow and white cornmeal. Other old-time industries are demonstrated during these weekends, such as blacksmithing and the making of furniture and musical instruments. One of these instruments is the dulcimer, a type of stringed instrument on which the strings are beaten with a small hammer rather than plucked.

Traditional Southern foods such as hoecakes and poke salad are served at these festivals, and Appalachian music is performed. Hoecakes are made of cornmeal shaped into a flat cake and baked or fried on a griddle. The hoecake got its name because it was sometimes baked on the blade of a hoe. Poke salad is made of a vegetable that grows wild in the eastern United States.
 
Georgia Folk Pottery

Have you ever made a pot out of clay? In Georgia the creation of pottery has a long history. The red clay of north Georgia soil is highly suitable for pottery making. American Indians in the area, including the Creeks and Cherokees, created clay wares, and as European immigrants settled in Georgia during the 1700s, they too made pottery.

The European immigrants made pottery by turning clay on a wheel (called "throwing"), using glaze and a fire kiln (oven). Pottery became so widespread in the 1820s through the 1840s in the north and central areas of Georgia that pottery-making centers were called "jugtowns." Today, Georgia pottery is still made, and the skills, techniques, and materials are passed on to each new generation. Several families in this area continue to "turn and burn," preserving a 200-year-old tradition.

With few exceptions, Georgia pottery was produced for practical uses only, and any artistic appeal was secondary. This does not mean Georgia pottery lacks beauty. It is the combination of form and glaze, and technique and innovation that creates a simple beauty.
 
Swamp Gravy

Why does the woman in the photo have pots and pans balancing on her head? She's performing in Swamp Gravy.

No, it's not a big swamp filled with your mother's turkey gravy! Swamp Gravy: The Gospel Truth is a play. Swamp Gravy tells real-life stories of everyday people in the form of comedies, dramas and even musicals. The stories come from taped interviews, which a writer then adapts into a play. Each year there is a new version of the play with new stories. The stories are about life and death, family, and community.

More than 100 volunteers -- actors and production crew -- produce this play and bring these stories to life. It is of such professional quality that the Georgia General Assembly has called it the "Official Folk Life Play of Georgia."

In addition to performing at the Cotton Hall (a renovated cotton warehouse in Colquitt, Georgia), Swamp Gravy was selected to be performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The crowd was so moved by the performance that the cast was invited to return. Next time Swamp Gravy will have new stories of Georgia life.
 
Atlanta's Role in the Civil War

Atlanta played an important role during the Civil War. Do you know what it was?

Founded in 1837 as a railway center for northwestern Georgia, Atlanta's original name was "Terminus." By 1852, its population had reached 3,000, including some 500 slaves. Because of its location and commercial importance, Atlanta was used as a center for military operations and as a supply route by the Confederate army during the Civil War. Therefore, it also became a target for the Union army. General William Tecumseh Sherman and his troops captured the city in 1864. In order to weaken the Confederate military organization, Union troops burned Atlanta to the ground before they moved on. Do you think that burning the city was an extreme action?

Today, Atlanta is the capital of Georgia. It is known for its robust economy and as the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr.
 
Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scout National Center

Are you a Girl Scout or a Boy Scout? Do you know where the idea for these troops came from? The original idea came from England, but the first Girl Scout group in the United States began in Savannah, Georgia, and all because one woman had a vision.

Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first group of Girl Scouts on March 12, 1912, because she wanted to give girls the opportunity to get out of the house and get involved in their community and the outdoors. She got the idea of starting a girl's group after spending time in England with General Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes, who had founded the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides.

Low took these ideas back to the U.S. and established the Girl Guides of America. It started out as a group of 18 girls who met regularly with a naturalist to go on nature walks, cook meals over campfires, and do other "scouting" activities. Low was so dedicated to this group that she sold a strand of rare matched pearls for $8,000 to pay for operations in the beginning. Today, Low's birthplace in Savannah is open to the public as a museum and contains information about the early Girl Scouts.
Source: Library of Congress
National Forests and Monuments of Georgia

The following is a description of national forests and monuments in the state of Georgia. There are no national parks in this state. If you plan to visit or live in Georgia for awhile then you should definitely plan to visit some of these fantastic places.
 
National Forests
Chattahoochee-Oconee

With 430 mi (690 km) of trails, this forest contains the southern terminius of the Appalachian Trail. Georgia's highest point, Brasstown Bald at 4,784 ft (1,458 m) is in the forest, and several Civil War battles were fought in the area.
 
National Monuments
Fort Frederica

Built by James Oglethorpe between 1736 and 1748, these remnants of a fort and town protected the southern boundary of the British colony of Georgia from Spanish raids. It was a few miles from the site of the Battle of Bloody Marsh.
Fort Pulaski

In 1862 during the American Civil War, the Union Army successfully tested a rifled cannon against the defending Confederates, rendering brick fortifications obsolete. Fort Pulaski was also used as a prisoner-of-war camp during the war. The national monument includes most of Cockspur Island (containing the fort) and all of adjacent McQueens Island.
Ocmulgee

Ocmulgee preserves traces of more than 10 millennia of native Southeastern culture, including Mississippian mounds. From Ice Age hunters to the Creek Indians of historic times, there is evidence of at least 10,000 years of human habitation. Between 900 and 1150, an elite society supported by skillful farmers lived on this site near the Ocmulgee River.
 
Travel America
 
 
 
Cool America
About the U.S.A.

About the U.S.A. is an American Studies reader that examines the customs, government, and history of the United States of America. The text provides a wealth of information on U.S. geography and history; the roles of local, state, and federal government; national holidays and symbols; the Constitution; and citizenship. The book, which was written for intermediate to advanced learners of English, contains a range of activities for language students to practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing. (opens to a new PDF window) Great English reading practice.
About America

Learn about the fascinating history and government of the United States of America. Lessons include content on American Government, American History, and Integrated Civics. Handouts with interactive games and student-centered activities encompass all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Great English reading practice for beginning to intermediate students.
American Teens Talk!

Americans Teens Talk! is a collection of interviews of American high school students. Each interview is accompanied by vocabulary notes and discussion questions. The interviews in American Teens Talk! give learners a view into the lives of adolescents in the U.S. Through the written format of the interviews, learners are able to increase their vocabulary, practice their reading and listening skills, engage in discussions, and learn more about U.S. culture. These interviews come with audio programs. Great English listening and reading
Sing Out Loud Children's Songs

Sing Out Loud Children's Songs includes popular children's songs in the U.S.A. Posters accompany the individual Sing Out Loud Children's Songs. These songs come with audio programs. Great English listening and reading practice.
Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs

The Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs collection contains 13 traditional American folk songs and song lyrics. Listen to the songs online, read the lyrics, and collect the posters that accompany the songs. These songs come with audio programs. Great English listening and reading practice.
Sing Out Loud American Rhythms

Do you love music? Want to use it to learn English? Check out the hip-hop inspired song "Peace" from Sing Out Loud American Rhythms. American Rhythms includes a variety of musical genres from many different artists in the U.S.A. These songs will appeal to teens and young adults. These songs come with audio programs. Great English listening and reading practice.
Route 66 - Famous American Road

U.S. Route 66 (US 66 or Route 66), also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica, California, near Los Angeles, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). It was recognized in popular culture by both the hit song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s.
Route 66: The Highway That's the Best
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
Chicago: The Start of Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
Going West for Decades on Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
Arizona: The Spirit of Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
Route 66 California: The End of the Trail
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
Ten Must-See Route 66 Attractions
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
Four Famous Foods On Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
International Tourists Drawn to Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)

A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in America.
 
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