The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – December 2020: Georgia

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The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – December 2020: Georgia

1bhabeck
Nov 30, 2020, 4:36 am

Each month, we will visit a different state in the United States of America for the Monthly Reading Challenge in the Mystery & Suspense Extra! Group. This month, we head to the southern US to visit the state that will determine the results of the 2020 US Senate election - Georgia.

The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – December 2020: Georgia


History

Georgia is a US state in the southeastern region of the country. Georgia is the 8th most populous US state with approximately 10.6 million people as of 2019, the 18th in terms of density and the 24th largest by area at 59,429 square miles (153,909 sq km). Its capital and largest city is Atlanta. The Atlanta metropolitan area, with an estimated population of more than 6 million people in 2019, is the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States and contains about 57% of Georgia's entire population.

Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe as a British colony, Georgia was the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established. The State of Georgia's first constitution was ratified in February 1777 and Georgia was the 4th state to ratify the US Constitution on January 2, 1788.

Following the Creek War (1813-1814), General Andrew Jackson forced the Muscogee (Creek) tribes to surrender up to 21 million acres of land in what is now southern Georgia and central Alabama. In 1829, gold was discovered in northern Georgia, causing an influx of white settlers putting pressure on the government to take land from the Cherokee Nation. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, sending many eastern Native American nations to reservation in present-day Oklahoma. The forced relocation of the tribes became known as the Trail of Tears and led to the death of more than four thousand Cherokees.

In early 1861, Georgia joined the Confederacy and became a major theater of the Civil War. Major battles took place at Chickamauga, Kennesaw Mountain, and Atlanta. In December 1864, a large swath of the state from Atlanta to Savannah was destroyed during General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea. 18,253 Georgian soldiers died in service, roughly one of every five who served. In 1870, following the Reconstruction Era, Georgia became the last Confederate state to be restored to the Union.

With white Democrats having regained power in the state legislature, they passed a poll tax in 1877, which disenfranchised many poor blacks and whites, preventing them from registering. In 1908, the state established a white primary; with the only competitive contests within the Democratic Party, it was another way to exclude blacks from politics. They constituted 46.7% of the state's population in 1900, but the proportion of Georgia's population that was African American dropped thereafter to 28%, primarily due to tens of thousands leaving the state during the Great Migration. Political disfranchisement persisted through the mid-1960s, until after Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

An Atlanta-born Baptist minister who was part of the educated middle class that had developed in Atlanta's African-American community, Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as a national leader in the civil rights movement. King joined with others to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Atlanta in 1957 to provide political leadership for the Civil Rights Movement across the South.

By the 1960s, the proportion of African Americans in Georgia had declined to 28% of the state's population, after waves of migration to the North and some in-migration by whites. With their voting power diminished, it took some years for African Americans to win a state-wide office. Julian Bond, a noted civil rights leader, was elected to the state House in 1965, and served multiple terms there and in the state senate.

Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. testified before Congress in support of the Civil Rights Act, and Governor Carl Sanders worked with the Kennedy administration to ensure the state's compliance. Ralph McGill, editor and syndicated columnist at the Atlanta Constitution, earned admiration by writing in support of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1970, newly elected Governor Jimmy Carter declared in his inaugural address that the era of racial segregation had ended. In 1972 Georgians elected Andrew Young to Congress as the first African American Congressman since Reconstruction.

By 1980, with the advantages of cheap real estate, low taxes, right-to-work laws and a regulatory environment limiting government interference, the Atlanta metropolitan area became a national center of finance, insurance, technology, manufacturing, real estate, logistics, and transportation companies, as well as the film, convention, and trade show businesses. As a testament to the city's growing international profile, in 1990 the International Olympic Committee selected Atlanta as the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Taking advantage of Atlanta's status as a transportation hub, in 1991 UPS established its headquarters in a suburb. In 1992, construction finished on Bank of America Plaza, the tallest building in the U.S. outside of New York or Chicago. There are 17 Fortune 500 companies and 26 Fortune 1000 companies with headquarters in Georgia, including Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola, TSYS, Delta Air Lines, Aflac, Southern Company, Anthem Inc., and SunTrust Banks.

Geography



Georgia is bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina, to the northeast by South Carolina, to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Florida and to the west by Alabama.

Georgia is defined by a diversity of landscapes, flora and fauna. The state's northernmost regions include the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the larger Appalachian Mountain system. Georgia's highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet (1,458 m) above sea level and its lowest is the Atlantic Ocean. With the exception of some high-altitude areas in the Blue Ridge, the entirety of the state has a humid subtropical climate.

Fun Facts

There is a tree in Athens, Georgia, that owns itself and an 8 foot radius of land. Professor William Jackson deeded the tree and the land to the tree in the early 19th century. That tree blew down in the '40s and was replaced with a new tree from the original’s acorn.

Stretching over two acres, the world’s largest drive-in restaurant can be found in Atlanta. The Varsity can fit 600 vehicles.


Georgia became the first state to charter a state-supported university on January 27, 1785 when the University of Georgia was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly.

Wesleyan College in Macon was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women.

Georgia was the 4th state to join the Union in 1776 and the 5th to join the Confederacy in 1861.

The Okefenokee in south Georgia is the largest swamp in North America. Okefenokee Swamp encompasses over 400,000 acres of canals; moss draped cypress trees, and lily pad prairies providing sanctuaries for hundreds of species of birds and wildlife including several endangered species.


The world's largest sculpture is located on the face of Stone Mountain. The figures of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are depicted as well as Lee's horse, Traveler.


Georgia is the nation's number one producer of the three Ps–peanuts, pecans, and peaches.

Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The name “Coca-Cola” was suggested by Dr. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. He penned the name Coca-Cola in the flowing script that is famous today. Coca-Cola was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta by Willis Venable.


The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta employs more than 60,000 people and is considered the busiest airport for passenger travel in the world, moving more than 100 million passengers annually. The airport covers 4,700 acres (1,902 ha) of land. Hartsfield-Jackson is the primary hub for Delta Air Lines – with just over 1,000 flights a day to 225 domestic and international locations, the Delta hub is the world's largest airline hub.


Notable Residents

James Earl Carter Jr. is an American politician and philanthropist, who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Since leaving the presidency, Carter has remained engaged in political and social projects as a private citizen. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.


Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Christian minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. King is best known for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi. King participated in and led marches for blacks' right to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other basic civil rights. King led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and later became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As president of the SCLC, he led the unsuccessful Albany Movement in Albany, Georgia, and helped organize some of the nonviolent 1963 protests in Birmingham, Alabama. King helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Other famous Georgia natives include: Jackie Robinson (baseball), Rosey Grier (football), Kanye West (singer), Little Richard (singer), Julia Roberts (actress), Spike Lee (actor/director), Pat Conroy (author), Ryan Seacrest (radio personality), Clarence Thomas (US Supreme Court Justice) and Marla Maples (actress and Donald Trump's 2nd wife).

In honor of GEORGIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Blue," "Swamp," "South," or "Dream" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% gray OR has a peach or other fruit on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place during civil unrest OR has a character that is/was a soldier/military pilot/marine OR the story takes place in the Southern region of the United States;

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in GEORGIA.
(this one may be harder than usual with the limited consonants!)

Happy Reading ❤

2bhabeck
Editado: Nov 30, 2020, 4:38 am

Brenda's December 2020 Americana Challenge - Georgia
0 of 3 Complete


In honor of GEORGIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Blue," "Swamp," "South," or "Dream" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% gray OR has a peach or other fruit on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place during civil unrest OR has a character that is/was a soldier/military pilot/marine OR the story takes place in the Southern region of the United States;

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in GEORGIA. (this one may be harder than usual with the limited consonants!)

3Carol420
Editado: Dic 11, 2020, 7:39 am


📌 - ★
3/3 - Done 12/11

Carol Will Cheer For This Georgia Bulldog Any Day... and He And I Can Share A Coke

📌1. A Mystery/Suspense book with "Blue," "Swamp," "South," or "Dream" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% gray OR has a peach or other fruit on the cover;
The Hollow Places - T. Kingfisher - 4★


📌2. A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place during civil unrest OR has a character that is/was a soldier/military pilot/marine OR the story takes place in the Southern region of the United States.
The Sentinel - Lee And Andrew Child (Takes place in Tennessee) - 4.5★

📌3. A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in GEORGIA. (this one may be harder than usual with the limited consonants!)
A Song For Dark Times - Ian Rankin - 4★ (I & R)

4bhabeck
Editado: Nov 30, 2020, 1:45 pm

>3 Carol420: I think The Sentinel would have worked for "a character that was a soldier" too - Reacher was in the Army, wasn't he? Been so long since I read The Killing Floor, I might have to re-read before I start that series again.

5Carol420
Nov 30, 2020, 1:58 pm

>4 bhabeck: Reacher was fairly high up in the Army. It would have worked for either. I'm not real sure about the change in uthors even though Lee Child's name is on the book still and Andrew is his baby brother. A lot of unnecessary description so far.

6bhabeck
Nov 30, 2020, 2:32 pm

>5 Carol420: maybe it's like Clive and Dirk Cussler or Anne and Christopher Rice - trying to get the next generation involved and it needs the "big name" to make the transition so they they can take over when the parent/sibling wants to retire.

7Carol420
Editado: Nov 30, 2020, 3:42 pm

>6 bhabeck: I guess nothing stays the same forever. Hope your birthday is going well for you and your having a good one.

8Olivermagnus
Editado: Dic 17, 2020, 9:11 pm

I have been totally obsessed with a Goodreads Challenge this year but I'm back to fully participating in M & S groups now.

Lynda and Oliver's December 2020 Americana Challenge - Georgia
0
of 3 Complete

In honor of GEORGIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Blue," "Swamp," "South," or "Dream" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% gray OR has a peach or other fruit on the cover;

🤶🎅 A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place during civil unrest OR has a character that is/was a soldier/military pilot/marine OR the story takes place in the Southern region of the United States;
The Visitor - Amanda Stevens - 12/8/20 - set in South Carolina

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in GEORGIA. (this one may be harder than usual with the limited consonants!)

9bhabeck
Nov 30, 2020, 10:05 pm

>8 Olivermagnus: I know what you mean. I’m about to attempt the Winter 2020 Challenge in the Seasonal Reading Challenge group. I need to plan this out or it’s going to be the only reading I do for the next 90 days..lol

10Sergeirocks
Editado: Dic 29, 2020, 10:37 am

Saving my place until I see what I can find for this month.

Hard Frost - R. D. Wingfield 4.5★s (Cover 50% grey)
Turning Angel - Greg Iles 4★s (Set in Natchez, Mississippi)
Never Go Back - Robert Goddard 5★s (Author's initials in GEORGIA)

11jguidry
Dic 1, 2020, 10:47 pm

Jaret goes to the Peach Bowl (again)
(0/3 completed)

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Blue," "Swamp," "South," or "Dream" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% gray OR has a peach or other fruit on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place during civil unrest OR has a character that is/was a soldier/military pilot/marine OR the story takes place in the Southern region of the United States;

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in GEORGIA. (this one may be harder than usual with the limited consonants!)

12gaylebutz
Dic 4, 2020, 1:51 pm

I’m going to read Irish Eyes by Kathy Hogan Trocheck. It takes place in the Southern region of the U. S. - Georgia.

13Carol420
Dic 11, 2020, 7:42 am



The Georgia bulldog and I are finished. How do I get dog slobber and other body fluids off my book??

14bhabeck
Dic 11, 2020, 2:40 pm

>13 Carol420: Well done! congratulations.

15gaylebutz
Dic 24, 2020, 5:35 pm

Done - Irish Eyes by Kathy Hogan Trocheck - 3.5 *

It takes place in the Southern region of the U. S. - Georgia.

16bhabeck
Editado: Dic 24, 2020, 6:21 pm

>15 gaylebutz: Whoohoo! Nice job.

17Carol420
Dic 25, 2020, 2:57 pm

>15 gaylebutz:



Good work, Gayle!

18gaylebutz
Dic 25, 2020, 4:48 pm

>16 bhabeck: >17 Carol420: Thanks ladies! I'm enjoying this challenge and so far I've been able to complete it every month.

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