Georgia Ratifies Constitution: Fourth State Joins New Union
Georgia's ratification vote wasn't close. The convention in Augusta approved the Constitution unanimously on January 2, 1788, making Georgia the fourth state to join the new union. Speed mattered. Georgia was the youngest and most vulnerable of the original thirteen colonies, with a population under 83,000 — including roughly 30,000 enslaved people. Creek and Cherokee nations controlled most of the western territory. Spanish Florida sat to the south. Georgia needed a strong federal government the way a small country needs a big ally. The delegates didn't even debate. They signed. Three states had ratified before them — Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. But Georgia was the first Southern state to say yes. And unlike the contentious fights in Massachusetts and Virginia that followed, Georgia's decision took less than a day. Protection first. Philosophy later.
January 2, 1788
238 years ago
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