Governor Peter Early

Year Erected: 1986

Marker Text: Peter Early served as Georgia governor from 1813 to 1815, during the War of 1812 with Great Britain and the Creek War of 1813-1814. Born in Virginia in 1773, he graduated from Princeton and moved to Georgia in 1795 to practice law, settling in Greene County in 1800. He served as U.S. Congressman, Superior Court judge, state senator, and trustee of the University of Georgia. As governor, Early supported Andrew Jackson's federal military campaign against the Creeks, forcing them to cede 22-million acres separating southern Georgia from Florida.  Removal of the Creeks enlarged the state’s boundaries, eventually expanding both cotton production and slavery. Early died on August 15, 1817, and was buried on his plantation near Scull Shoals. His family moved his remains here to the Greensboro City Cemetery in 1914. Early County is named in his memory.

Re-erected in 2017 by the Georgia Historical Society

Tips for Finding This Site: Located at the Early family plot in Greensboro City Cemetery