GEORGIA250
Celebrating America’s Last Colony
A Yearlong Celebration of America’s 250th anniversary in Georgia!
As part of our country’s 250th anniversary, we’re launching Georgia250: Celebrating America’s Last Colony, a program celebrating the sites and people that bring Georgia’s Revolutionary War stories to life through its historic landmarks.
Throughout the year, Georgia250 will feature videos at 13 of Georgia’s colonial and Revolutionary War sites, along with author talks, storytelling across social media, and a virtual Ramble.
Become Part of the 13th Colony Society
Commemorate America’s 250th anniversary with us. Our Georgia250 initiative in 2026 offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage, celebrate, and make an impact complete with exclusive benefits for patrons. Join the 13th Colony Society by March 1 to secure your part in this yearlong celebration of our country’s 250th birthday.
Special Thanks
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Frances and Beverly Dubose Foundation and The Gable Foundation for their generous support in making this program possible.
13 SITES, 13 STORIES
Georgia’s Revolution
Follow Georgia Trust President and CEO Wright Mitchell as he explores 13 historic sites associated with Georgia’s colonial and Revolutionary War era, uncovering the stories that shaped the state’s past in this engaging video series that will be released throughout the year.
Author Talks
Throughout the year, we will present a series of four lectures in partnership with leading historians and scholars who have written groundbreaking works on colonial and Revolutionary Georgia. These special events will take place at Rhodes Hall, our headquarters in Atlanta, and Hay House, our historic property in Macon.
Come discover the stories behind Georgia’s past and hear from the experts who bring its history to life.
- Greg Brooking – February 5, 2026, 6 p.m. at Rhodes Hall
- Paul Pressly – April 9, 2026, 6 p.m. at Hay House
- Michael Thurmond – June 18, 2026, 6 p.m. at Rhodes Hall
- W. Wright Mitchell – September 10, 2026, 6 p.m. at Rhodes Hall
Virtual Lunch and Learn
Austin Dabney and Black Georgians in the Revolutionary War
Thursday, February 12, 2026
12-1 p.m.
Zoom
FREE
Join noted author and scholar Bob Davis for a Black History Month Lunch and Learn exploring the vital contributions of African Americans in the Revolutionary War. Black Georgians fought on both sides of the conflict, helped spread ideals of liberty, and influenced global antislavery movements through figures like Austin Dabney, George Liele and David George.
Virtual Ramble: A Guide to Georgia’s Colonial and Revolutionary War Sites
As part of the Georgia250 celebration, we are pleased to bring you our Virtual Ramble program, a publication designed to guide readers through a virtual tour of Georgia’s colonial and Revolution-era sites. From house museums and private residences that preserve daily life of the past, to battlefields and forts that witnessed pivotal struggles, the Virtual Ramble captures the breadth of Georgia’s role in America’s founding. It also features churches that anchored communities, federal and state historic landmarks that safeguard collective memory, cemeteries that honor generations, and landscapes whose significance endures across centuries. Together, these sites form a tapestry of history, offering both scholars and the public a deeper appreciation of Georgia’s place in the nation’s journey toward independence.
Special Thanks to Robert Scott Davis
We would like to thank Robert Scott “Bob” Davis for his invaluable expertise and guidance in support of Georgia250. Davis is one of the nation’s foremost scholars on the Revolutionary War in Georgia, and his work has been published extensively in the Journal of the American Revolution.
Robert Davis is a retired professor of Genealogy and History who built a research collection at Wallace State Community College, Hanceville, Alabama, which pioneered promoting and teaching local and family history research in a college environment.
Davis has a Doctor of Philosophy from Mellen University, a Master of Education in History from the University of North Georgia, and a Master of Arts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He holds an accounting and computer science certificate from Pickens area Technical School, and has done graduate work at the University of Alabama at Huntsville.
His is the author of over 2,000 publications on genealogy, history, records, and research, including over forty books and 140 articles in archival, educational, and historical publications. A detailed bibliography and biography are here.
Georgia250 brings Georgia’s Revolutionary War story to life by honoring Patriots, Loyalists, enslaved individuals, and communities while focusing on the preservation of the historic places where these stories unfolded.
Wright Mitchell, Georgia Trust President and CEO