British/American History: Georgia Re-Admitted to the Union - JULY 15, 1870

144 years ago today, the state of Georgia—named after King George II of Great Britain—was re-admitted to the Union, having previously seceded as one of the original seven Confederate States.

The state—then home to about 1.5 million people—had been a major focal point of the U.S. Civil War effort, with famous battles having taken place at Chickamauga, Kennesaw Mountain, and Atlanta.

Much of the state had been decimated during March to the Sea, an ambitious military campaign in 1864 led by Major General William Tecumseh, who had presided over the destruction of the state's industry, infrastructure and civilian population.

During the reconstruction era, when Confederation states were forced to repeal secession and accept the 13th Amendment of the United States, Georgia was re-admitted to the Union on July 15, 1870.

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This article was written by Laurence Brown. Laurence is a British expat living in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a contributor for BBC America and has written for Anglotopia. He is Editor-in-chief of Lost in the Pond and loves nothing more than to share these articles with anglophiles, expats, and other interested parties on social media. Follow Lost in the Pond on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.