Atlanta city (regional capital), history - Pictures
Atlanta's founding was based on two events that occurred in the 1830s—the forcible removal of the Creek and Cherokee peoples and the extension of railroad lines into the state's interior. In 1837 surveyors for the Western and Atlantic Railroad selected a locale 11 km (7 mi) southeast of the Chattahoochee River as a southern terminus for their line. A small settlement, aptly named Terminus, arose at this location. While work was progressing on the Western and Atlantic, Terminus grew, changing its name to Marthasville in 1843 and to Atlanta (in honor of the railroad) in 1845. Atlanta was incorporated as a city in 1847.
Two more railroads soon established connections with Atlanta. The extensive rail facilities made Atlanta the center of a growing regional transportation network and hastened the city's development as a commercial center. By the American Civil War (1861-1865) Atlanta's population had grown to over 9000. As a vital Confederate production center and supply depot during the war, Atlanta became a prime objective of Union General William T. Sherman in his efforts to subdue the Confederacy. Sherman captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864, and subsequently burned much of the city.
