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Georgia and the Civil War Reading Activity
Georgia’s Story of the Civil War
The morning air in Georgia was cool, but the talk around the farms was heated. Word had
spread that Abraham Lincoln had been elected president, and many Georgians feared that
change was coming. Twelve-year-old Sarah Harper sat on her porch listening as her father
talked with neighbors. They argued about slavery, about whether the government had too
much power, and about what would happen next. Some said Georgia should stay in the
Union; others said it was time to leave and make their own country.
For years, the North and South had disagreed over slavery and states’ rights. Southern
farmers, like the Harpers, depended on enslaved people to work the land. Many in the North
wanted to stop the spread of slavery. The government had tried to calm both sides with the
Compromise of 1850, letting new states decide for themselves and passing a law that forced
runaway slaves to be returned. Georgia agreed to this with the Georgia Platform—but
warned that the state would leave if the North didn’t keep its promises.
A few years later, the Dred Scott court case shocked the nation. Dred Scott, an enslaved man,
asked the Supreme Court for his freedom. The Court said no, claiming enslaved people were
property, not citizens. In Georgia, many people saw this as a victory, while others worried
the country would split apart. When Lincoln won the presidency in 1860, Georgia leaders
voted to secede, joining the Confederate States of America. Church bells rang, and people
cheered—but some feared what was coming.
When war began in 1861, Georgia’s world changed. The Union navy blocked the coast,
keeping ships from leaving or bringing supplies. Families ran out of food and clothes. Still,
Georgians believed the South would win. Then in 1863, President Lincoln announced the
Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that enslaved people in Confederate states were free.
Hope spread among the enslaved, and fear grew among slaveholders.
That same year, Georgians fought in the Battle of Chickamauga. It was a fierce fight—
Confederate soldiers won, but many lives were lost. Soon after, Union forces moved closer.
In 1864, General William T. Sherman and his men marched toward Atlanta, destroying
railroads and factories. When the city fell, fires burned for days. Then Sherman began his
famous March to the Sea, cutting through Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah. He wanted to
end the South’s ability to fight by destroying anything that could be used for war.
Near a small town called Andersonville, a Confederate prison held thousands of captured
Union soldiers. Conditions were terrible—there was little food or clean water, and many
men died each day. By the time the war ended, almost 13,000 prisoners had died there
Comprehension Questions
1. Why did Georgians disagree about whether to stay in the Union?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. What was the purpose of the Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3. What did the Dred Scott decision say about enslaved people?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
4. How did the Union blockade affect life in Georgia?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
5. What was the goal of Sherman’s March to the Sea?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
6. Why was Andersonville prison such a tragic part of Georgia’s history?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
7. How did Georgia change by the end of the Civil War?
Georgia’s Story of the Civil War
The morning air in Georgia was cool, but the talk around the farms was heated. Word had
spread that Abraham Lincoln had been elected president, and many Georgians feared that
change was coming. Twelve-year-old Sarah Harper sat on her porch listening as her father
talked with neighbors. They argued about slavery, about whether the government had too
much power, and about what would happen next. Some said Georgia should stay in the
Union; others said it was time to leave and make their own country.
For years, the North and South had disagreed over slavery and states’ rights. Southern
farmers, like the Harpers, depended on enslaved people to work the land. Many in the North
wanted to stop the spread of slavery. The government had tried to calm both sides with the
Compromise of 1850, letting new states decide for themselves and passing a law that forced
runaway slaves to be returned. Georgia agreed to this with the Georgia Platform—but
warned that the state would leave if the North didn’t keep its promises.
A few years later, the Dred Scott court case shocked the nation. Dred Scott, an enslaved man,
asked the Supreme Court for his freedom. The Court said no, claiming enslaved people were
property, not citizens. In Georgia, many people saw this as a victory, while others worried
the country would split apart. When Lincoln won the presidency in 1860, Georgia leaders
voted to secede, joining the Confederate States of America. Church bells rang, and people
cheered—but some feared what was coming.
When war began in 1861, Georgia’s world changed. The Union navy blocked the coast,
keeping ships from leaving or bringing supplies. Families ran out of food and clothes. Still,
Georgians believed the South would win. Then in 1863, President Lincoln announced the
Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that enslaved people in Confederate states were free.
Hope spread among the enslaved, and fear grew among slaveholders.
That same year, Georgians fought in the Battle of Chickamauga. It was a fierce fight—
Confederate soldiers won, but many lives were lost. Soon after, Union forces moved closer.
In 1864, General William T. Sherman and his men marched toward Atlanta, destroying
railroads and factories. When the city fell, fires burned for days. Then Sherman began his
famous March to the Sea, cutting through Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah. He wanted to
end the South’s ability to fight by destroying anything that could be used for war.
Near a small town called Andersonville, a Confederate prison held thousands of captured
Union soldiers. Conditions were terrible—there was little food or clean water, and many
men died each day. By the time the war ended, almost 13,000 prisoners had died there
Comprehension Questions
1. Why did Georgians disagree about whether to stay in the Union?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. What was the purpose of the Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3. What did the Dred Scott decision say about enslaved people?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
4. How did the Union blockade affect life in Georgia?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
5. What was the goal of Sherman’s March to the Sea?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
6. Why was Andersonville prison such a tragic part of Georgia’s history?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
7. How did Georgia change by the end of the Civil War?
Answers
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Answered by
GPT-5 mini
1. Georgians disagreed because of slavery and states’ rights. Some depended on enslaved labor and wanted more state power; others wanted to stay in the Union and avoid secession.
2. The Compromise of 1850 tried to calm North–South tensions by letting new territories decide about slavery and by enforcing the return of runaway slaves. The Georgia Platform accepted the Compromise but warned Georgia would leave the Union if the North did not keep its promises.
3. The Dred Scott decision said enslaved people were property, not citizens, and therefore could not sue in court.
4. The Union blockade closed Georgia’s ports so ships could not bring in supplies or export goods. As a result, families ran short of food, clothing, and other necessities.
5. Sherman’s March to the Sea aimed to destroy the South’s ability to fight by wrecking railroads, factories, and supplies and by breaking Confederate morale.
6. Andersonville was tragic because it was overcrowded and had terrible conditions—little food or clean water—so thousands of captured Union soldiers died there (about 13,000).
7. By the end of the war Georgia was badly damaged physically and economically (cities burned, railroads destroyed), and slavery had ended, bringing major social and political change.
2. The Compromise of 1850 tried to calm North–South tensions by letting new territories decide about slavery and by enforcing the return of runaway slaves. The Georgia Platform accepted the Compromise but warned Georgia would leave the Union if the North did not keep its promises.
3. The Dred Scott decision said enslaved people were property, not citizens, and therefore could not sue in court.
4. The Union blockade closed Georgia’s ports so ships could not bring in supplies or export goods. As a result, families ran short of food, clothing, and other necessities.
5. Sherman’s March to the Sea aimed to destroy the South’s ability to fight by wrecking railroads, factories, and supplies and by breaking Confederate morale.
6. Andersonville was tragic because it was overcrowded and had terrible conditions—little food or clean water—so thousands of captured Union soldiers died there (about 13,000).
7. By the end of the war Georgia was badly damaged physically and economically (cities burned, railroads destroyed), and slavery had ended, bringing major social and political change.
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