Term

Describe the distinguishing features of the 5 major regions of Georgia - population, size, fertility, nicknames.

Definition

Appalachian Plateau — smallest; low population; poor, thin soils; nickname: Plateau. Ridge and Valley — narrow bands; sparse to moderate population; mixed fertility in valleys; nickname: Valley ridges. Blue Ridge — mountainous; low population; acidic, thin soils (low fertility); nickname: North Georgia Mountains. Piedmont — mid-size; most populous (Atlanta metro); red clay loams, moderate fertility; nickname: The Fall Line / Piedmont. Coastal Plain — largest area; low-to-moderate population outside cities; fertile in river/lowland areas (historically plantation agriculture); nickname: Lowcountry.

Term

Describe the lives of the Native Americans of the Mississippian Period. Where did they live. What type of society did they have. What did they eat? What types of structures did they build?

Definition

Where: River valleys and floodplains across central/eastern Georgia (Ocmulgee, Savannah systems). Society: Ranked chiefdoms with hereditary elites and large towns. Diet: Maize-based agriculture plus beans, squash, hunting, fishing, gathering. Structures: Earthen platform mounds, plazas, wooden public buildings, palisades.

Term

Which Europeans were the first to arrive in what is now Georgia? Who led this expedition? In what areas of eastern Georgia did they first establish a presence?

Definition

First Europeans: Spanish (Hernando de Soto’s 1539–1543 expedition made first recorded inland contacts). Early Spanish presence: Coastal missions and posts on the Sea Islands and barrier-island coast (mission provinces like Guale, Mocama); de Soto also traveled inland.