Savannah, GA – April 21-22, 2016

7th

Grade Field Study

Student Name:

_________________________________

Mountain Island Charter School

Names

Name of Tour Guide: __________________________________

THE SAVANNAH RIVER Quick Facts about the River

The Savannah River Basin is located in eastern Georgia and western South Carolina and

defines the state boundary between Georgia and South Carolina.

The Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers join in the Savannah River headwaters to form the Tugaloo

River. Further downstream near Hartwell, the Tugaloo River joins with the Seneca River from

South Carolina to form the Savannah River. From here, the Savannah River flows southeasterly

to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Chattooga River is one of the longest and largest free-flowing mountain streams in the

Southeast, and on May 10, 1974, Congress designated the Chattooga River a Wild and Scenic

River.

The Savanna River Basin is 10,577 square miles: 5,821 square miles in eastern Georgia, 4,581

square miles in western South Carolina and 175 square miles in southwestern North Carolina.

Biological Resources

The Savannah River Basin is home to more than 75 species of rare plants and animals,

including the majestic swallow-tailed kite, the rocky shoals spider lily, and the wild cocoa tree.

On river bluffs near Augusta, such rare plants as bottle-brush buckeye, false rue anemone, and

relict trillium can be found.

There are 108 fish species representing 36 families. The Georgia Department of Natural

Resources stocks approximately 203,200 catchable trout in 14 streams in the basin.

History

Natural

The presence of giant fossilized oyster shells along Shell Bluff, located just south of

the fall line in Burke County, is evidence that the fall line formed a coastline some

50 million years ago.

o The cliff-like face of the bluff is chalked white, due to material weathered from

limestone.

o The naturalist John Bartram, father of William Bartram, visited Shell Bluff in

1765 to study the large shell formation.

Cultural

Archaeologists believe that the Paleoindians first appeared along the Savannah River near the

end of the Ice Age, some 12,000 years ago.

The first-known European explorer to reach the Savannah was Hernando De Soto in 1540. He

and his soldiers crossed the river, probably near what is now Augusta, where the river divided

and swept around an island.

In the late sixteenth century, the French started the first European commerce on the Savannah,

trading with the Indians for sassafras.

Sometime during the early seventeenth century, the Westo Indians took up residence along the

Savannah. They became allies of the English in South Carolina and acted as a buffer against the

Spanish to the south. The English traded guns and cloth with the Indians for furs and deerskins.

Colonial settlers discovered that the marshlands around Savannah were ideal for the cultivation

of a particular global commodity and staple—rice. However, slavery was prohibited in the

colony in 1735, making rice cultivation in Georgia unprofitable. After slavery was legalized in

1750, rice plantations dotted the riverbanks and marshlands, whose waters, fed by the river and

the tides, generated significant profits for wealthy Georgia planters until the conclusion of the

American Civil War and abolition of slavery.

The Savannah River Queen

Experience the Savannah River that was – and remains – the lifeblood of Savannah! Hear our

Captain’s intriguing tales and historic facts about our modern day port and the ships that visit

from all over the world. Then make your way down river to Old Fort Jackson, home of one of

the largest and oldest original artillery pieces in the country! Take advantage of the great photo

opportunities of Savannah’s historic riverfront and skyline.

Name and describe 4 points of interest that were discussed during the Savannah River tour.

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Name and describe 4 animals that you saw on the Savannah River tour.

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4.

What did you have lunch?

Savannah's Historic River Street

Riverfront Plaza

Historic River Street, paved with 200-year-old cobblestones, runs along the length of the

Savannah River. Once lined with warehouses holding King Cotton, the neighborhood never fully

recovered from the yellow-fever epidemic and subsequent quarantine of 1818. Abandoned for

over a century, it was rediscovered in the 1970s by local landowners and urban planners

determined to revive the history and the glory of old River Street.

Monuments and Memorials

Savannah’s streets, squares and parks are filled with monuments and memorials to those who

have played key roles in shaping her history. Savannah has always honored her past and her

heroes.

River Street Memorials

Savannah's River Street Memorials include an African-American Monument, a tribute to a

"Waving Girl" and a 1996 Olympic Yachting Cauldron.

African-American Monument

Statue of Florence Martus – The Waving Girl

1996 Olympic Yachting Cauldron

Erected on July 27, 2002, the African-American Monument depicts a family

of four embracing after emancipation while chains representing slavery lie at

their feet. Standing just behind the Hyatt Hotel on the river walk, this

beautiful monument is the first in Savannah to recognize the contributions

made by African Americans.

The inscription, by poet Maya Angelou, reads:

We were stolen, sold and bought together from the African continent. We got

on the slave ships together. We lay back to belly in the holds of the slave

ships in each others excrement and urine together, sometimes died together,

and our lifeless bodies thrown overboard together. Today, we are standing

up together, with faith and even some joy.

Florence Martus (1868-1943) become a legend in ports across the

world. When she was 19, and her brother worked as the lighthouse

keeper on Elba Island, Florence began waving at all the ships entering

or leaving the port of Savannah. It is said that for the next 44 years

Florence continued to wave by day with a white handkerchief in hand,

and at night by the light of a lantern, only to stop in 1931 when her

brother retired and moved away. Her story spawned many myths

including one popular tale that claimed she was engaged to a sailor,

and that she waved at every ship that arrived in hopes of being the first

to welcome him home. But alas, he never returned.

This cauldron was lit by the original Olympic flame from Mt. Olympus at

the opening ceremonies on July 20, 1996, and burned throughout the

Centennial Olympic Games in Savannah, site of the Olympic Yachting

events. Designed by Georgia artist Ivan Bailey, the five fluted columns

represent the five Olympic rings, the fluted slice of a classic column

symbolizes the Olympic Greek heritage, and the six sails represent the

Olympic yachting events.

What can you conclude about the statues that are long River Street?

Do you think it is important to have memorials like the ones on River Street? Why or why not?

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MIGHTY EIGHTH AIR FORCE

History

The VIII Bomber Command (later redesignated Eighth Air Force on Feb. 22, 1944) was

activated as part of the U.S. Army Air Force on Feb. 1, 1942, at Langley Field, Va. About ten

days later, the VIII Bomber Command joined its parent unit, Eighth Air Force at Hunter Field in

Savannah, Ga. Thirteen days later, Brig. Gen. Ira C. Eaker took VIII Bomber Command to Daws

Hill, England. Once on English soil, a permanent home for VIII Bomber Command was soon

established. From May 1942 until July 1945, VIII Bomber Command would plan and execute the

American daylight, precision, and strategic bombing campaign over Nazi -occupied Europe from

a former girls school at High Wycombe, England.

During World War II, under the leadership of such generals as Ira Eaker and Jimmy

Doolittle, the VIII Bomber Command became the greatest air armada in history. On Feb. 22,

1944, the Army reorganized its Air Forces in Europe. In redesignation actions, Eighth Air Force

became the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (now the United States Air Forces in

Europe), and the VIII Bomber Command became Eighth Air Force. By mid-1944, Eighth Air

Force had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 people (it is estimated that more than

350,000 Americans served in Eighth Air Force during the war in Europe.) At peak strength,

Eighth Air Force could dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and more than 1,000

fighters on a single mission. For these reasons, Eighth Air Force became known as the “Mighty

Eighth.”

The Mighty Eighth compiled an impressive record in the war. This achievement,

however, carried a high price. Half of the U.S. Army Air Force’s casualties in WW II were

suffered by Eighth Air Force (more than 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead).

Seventeen Medals of Honor went to Eighth Air Force personnel during the war. By war’s end,

they had been awarded a number of other medals to include 220 Distinguished Service Crosses,

and 442,000 Air Medals. Many more awards were made to Eighth Air Force veterans after t he

war that remain uncounted. There were 261 fighter aces in the Eighth Air Force during World

War II. Thirty-one of these aces had 15 or more aircraft kills apiece. Another 305 enlisted

gunners were also recognized as aces.

Name and describe in detail 3 exhibits that you viewed.

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What was your favorite part of the museum? Why?

What is your big “take away” from visiting the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth

Air Force?

Savannah Ghost Tour

You’ll walk through some of the most beautifully creepy locations you can imagine through the

beautiful streets of Savannah, Georgia. You’ll visit haunted and historic homes, hidden

cemeteries and many of Savannah’s secret, haunted locations.

What was your favorite part of the ghost tour? Why?

Which story was the spookiest? Why?

Old Savannah Trolley Tour

Name and describe 5 historical sites you discoved while on the trolley tour.

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One Ticket

This ticket will provide you with a guided tour through more than

270 years of American History. As you journey through the Historic

District, you will ride along cobblestone paved streets beneath moss-

draped oaks and experience the “Old South” with her stately

mansions, beautiful squares, picturesque riverfront, and abundance

of artifacts.

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First African Baptist Church, Savannah, GA

First African Baptist Church was organized in 1773 under the leadership of Reverend George

Leile. In May of 1775 he was ordained as the pastor and December of 1777 the church was officially

constituted as a body of organized believers. Under the leadership of the 3rd Pastor Reverend Andrew C.

Marshall, the congregation obtained the property where the present sanctuary stands. Marshall also

organized the first black Sunday school in North America and changed the name of the church from

“First Colored Baptist” to “First African Baptist”. The sanctuary was completed in 1859 under the

direction of the 4th Pastor Reverend William J. Campbell.

The sanctuary still contains many of the historical elements that have allowed the congregation to

preserve much of its rich history. The stained-glass windows installed during the Pastorate of

Reverend George Gibbons, 5th Pastor, can still be found along the edifice. A stained-glass window of

Rev. George Leile is located outside, in front of the church.

Describe the role that The First African Baptist Church played during the time of slavery.

Name and describe 2 artifacts that you saw in the museum.

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2.

What were you most impressed about when you visited the Frist African Baptist church? Why?

Old Fort Jackson

Fort James Jackson (usually called Old Fort Jackson or shortened to Fort Jackson) is

a restored 19th-century fort located on the Savannah River, two miles east of the

city of Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is a National Historic

Landmark and the oldest standing brick fort in Georgia. [3]

U.S. President Thomas Jefferson authorized the construction of a national defense

system of fortifications to defend his new nation. Jefferson's system included Fort

Jackson, constructed between 1808 and 1812 over an old earthen battery from

the American Revolution. At the time, war with Great Britain or France seemed

likely, and Fort Jackson was the best site from which to protect Savannah from

attack by sea. In the War of 1812, local militias and U.S. troops saw active duty at

Fort Jackson. After the War of 1812, two periods of construction followed at the fort.

A moat, drawbridge, brick barracks, privies, a rear wall, and another powder

magazine were added. [3]

James Jackson, the namesake of the fort, was a British native who fought for the

American cause and rose to the rank of colonel. When he was twenty-five, Jackson

accepted the surrender of the British in Savannah at the close of the revolution. He

was later a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Governor of Georgia. He is

interred at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C..[3]

During the American Civil War, Fort Jackson, along with nearby Fort

McAllister and Fort Pulaski, defended Savannah from Union attack. In 1862, Fort

Jackson was shelled from a ship captained by an escaped slave named Robert

Smalls.

When the Union Army commanded by William T. Sherman captured Savannah by

land on December 20, 1864, Confederate troops abandoned the fort and retreated

across the Savannah River into South Carolina. Confederate troops from Savannah

joined other forces in North Carolina and South Carolina and continued to fight

until April 26, 1865, when they surrendered to General Sherman's army at Durham,

North Carolina. Several different regiments garrisoned Fort Jackson during the

Union occupation of Savannah. One of these units was the 55th Massachusetts

Regiment, which consisted of African American troops.[3]

From 1884 to 1905, Fort Jackson was known as Fort Oglethorpe and was little used

by the U.S. military. It was purchased by the city of Savannah in 1924 for park

purposes but not fully restored until the 1970s.

Student Militia Program

During this one hour program, you will learn about the Revolutionary War in Savannah and become part of Thomas Lee’s Company which was garrisoned at Five Fathom Hole (location of Fort Jackson) as they prepare to defend Savannah.

What was your first impression of Old Fort Jackson when you first saw it?

Name and describe 3 important events that occurred at Fort Jackson.

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3.

Describe in detail what a soldier’s life was like?

What was your favorite part about Fort Jackson?

What was you big “take away” from visiting Old Fort Jackson?