Georgia US

Explorers Francisco Gordillo and Pedro de Quexos explore the Atlantic Coast from Florida to Cape Hateras, North Carolina.

Explorer Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon founds the first named European settlement in the New World at San Miguel de Gualdape on the Savannah River. It lasts two months.

Surviving members of the Gualdape colony return to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Explorer Hernando de Soto begins his exploration of the Southeast, including inland Georgia.

The Spanish government establishes a fort on St. Catherines Island. Jesuit priests construct Mission Santa Catalina, Georgia’s first church, within the fort.

Puturiba, the first Franciscan mission in Georgia, is established on or near Cumberland Island.

The Franciscan Missions Talapo, Santo Domingo de Asao-Talaje, Santa Catalina de Guale, and Santa Clara de Tupiqui-Espogache, and the mission-presidio Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de Tolomato, are established on the Sea Islands.

The Guale Rebellion, a Native American uprising, results in the destruction of several Spanish missions and the burning of St. Catherines Island Presidio. All remaining Spanish missions are abandoned. Franciscans reestablish Georgia’s mission system. The St. Catherines Island Presidio is rebuilt for their protection.

St. Catherines Island Presidio is abandoned after attacks by English-controlled South Carolina forces.

Attacks by the Westo tribe and pirate raids destroy most of the Spanish missions in Guale and Mocama.

An invasion of Spanish Florida by South Carolina troops destroys the remaining Guale and Mocama missionary systems.

Fort King George is established by the British on the former site of Mission Santo Domingo de Asao as the southernmost British outpost in North America.

The first English colony in Georgia is established by General James Oglethorpe, exacerbating hostilities between the Spanish and the English. The War of Jenkin’s Ear begins between English and Spanish colonizing forces.

The Battle of Bloody Marsh is fought on St. Simons Island, ending Spanish occupation of Georgia.

Spanish-American War begins with the bombing of the USS Maine. Georgia supplies 3,000 troops for fighting in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

Georgia Senator Augustus Octavius Bacon introduces legislation to block U.S. annexation of the Philippines and Cuba.

Cuban students at Georgia Tech organize the Latin Americans Club. Fidel Castro’s rise to power results in a mass migration of Cubans to Miami and Atlanta.

Latino workers begin to find work in Georgia’s chicken-processing industry.

1980s Latino workers begin supplying labor in Georgia’s textile industries.

1981 Cuban-born Roberto Goizueta becomes chairman and chief executive officer of the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company.

1996 The Olympic Games launches Atlanta’s reputation as an international city; many Latin American-based companies move to Georgia.

1998 The Board of Regents of the University System convenes the Hispanic

Task Force to determine how to best meet the needs of Georgia’s Latino students.

2000 The U.S. census reports Latino numbers in Georgia are much higher than projected.

2002 The Georgia Supreme Court upholds a lower court decision that makes Latinos a cognizable (within court’s jurisdiction) group for jury selection.

2003 Governor Perdue creates the Latino Commission for a New Georgia.

In August two Mexican American college students, Desiree Smith and Beatriz Velez, create the Students for Latino Empowerment. It is the first student organization dedicated to encouraging upward mobility among Georgia’s Latinos.

2004 Former employees file federal racketeering charges against carpet-maker Mohawk Industries, claiming that the hiring of Latino workers represents a conspiracy to depress wages.

2005 On September 30 robberies of four mobile home parks in Tift and Colquitt Counties result in the murder of six Mexican immigrants in an incident known as The Night of Blood.

2006 On April 17 Governor Perdue signs the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act; many view the bill as anti-Latino.

On November 5, Cherokee County officials unanimously enact the state’s first ordinance, making English the official language of the county.