The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is dedicated to offering trustworthy resources that support K-12 teachers’ digital classrooms. Over the coming weeks GHS will be working diligently to provide educators and parents valuable tools and information to meet the needs of students during the Covid-19 school closures. The “Digital Resources for Georgia’s Students” blog series will explore GHS’s extensive catalog of online resources for learning Georgia and American history and offer strategies for using them at home or in a digital classroom.
The GHS Featured Historical Figures pages explore the stories of individuals from Georgia’s past. Through this resource students can read about people who have had a significant impact on the state’s history, learn about their life and legacy, investigate primary sources from the GHS collection, and discover resources for deeper study.
Teacher guides are available for many of the figures and offer insights into vocabulary, discussion questions, and teaching tips for use in the classroom.
The Featured Historical Figures range from Spanish explorer and conqueror Hernando de Soto, to Jackie Robinson, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and an American civil rights hero. Learn about more than two dozen people who have made a significant impact on the state throughout Georgia’s history.
For pre-colonial, Colonial Georgia, and the American Revolution, check out these pages:
- Hernando de Soto, Spanish explorer
- James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the Georgia colony
- Tomochichi, Native American leader and aid to General Oglethorpe
- Mary Musgrove, Native American merchant and influential in the Georgia colony
- Abraham Baldwin, member of the United States Constitutional Convention and founder of the University of Georgia
For leaders in science, technology, education, and innovation, check out these pages:
- Seqouyah, author of the Cherokee syllabary
- Mother Mathilda Beasley, educator and operator of a secret school for enslaved children
- John Charles Frémont, first Republican presidential candidate and “Pathfinder” of the western frontier
- Charles Herty, a chemist and visionary in the field of forestry and paper production
- Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts USA
For leaders in entertainment, society, and culture, check out these pages:
- Johnny Mercer, actor, singer, and one of the most popular and successful songwriters of the 20th century
- Flannery O’Connor, one of America’s most influential fiction writers
- Jackie Robinson, American baseball player and civil rights leader
Additional Resources:
Teaching with Primary Sources: Primary Sources Handouts and Presentations
Literacy Strategies Supporting primary and secondary source analysis
Digital Education for Georgia’s Students: Newspapers in Education
GHS Education Newsletter sign-up
Please contact the GHS Education team at ccrisp@georgiahistory.com or (912) 651.2125, ext. 117.