Unit 4 Lesson 5: Growing Tensions
The Georgia Platform
Who was involved? Think about the people or groups who were involved and affected by this event.
What happened? Summarize the event!
Where did the event take place?
When did the event take place?
Why is this event important to Georgia’s history?
The Georgia Platform was a statement issued by Georgia's political leaders in response to the Compromise of 1850, a series of laws aimed at resolving the growing tensions between the North and the South over issues such as slavery. The event involved the political leaders of Georgia, including Alexander Stephens and Robert Toombs, who drafted and issued the Georgia Platform. The event took place in Milledgeville, which was then the capital of Georgia. It occurred in January 1851, shortly after the Compromise of 1850 was passed by Congress.
The Georgia Platform is important to Georgia's history because it represented the state's official position on the Compromise of 1850 and demonstrated its commitment to preserving slavery and the rights of slaveholders. The platform argued that Georgia would secede from the Union if the federal government attempted to restrict or abolish slavery. This declaration of support for the institution of slavery and the state's willingness to protect it played a significant role in the lead up to the Civil War. It also highlighted the deep divisions and tensions between the North and the South over the issue of slavery.