Atlanta, the administrative center of Fulton County, is one of the most fascinating cities in the South. The city serves as the economic and cultural hub of Georgia and has a rapidly growing population which was estimated to be around 500,000 in 2018. Due to its economic and cultural dominance within the state, and not to mention its central location, Atlanta also serves as the capital of Georgia and the principal city of the larger Atlanta metropolitan area which has a population of approximately 6 million people. Popularly known as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement and the headquarters of several world-renowned corporations including CNN and Coca-Cola, the city of Atlanta is a force to reckon with.
Before the invasion by European colonialists, most of north Georgia, including the area that became modern-day Atlanta city, was the ancestral home of the Creek Indians and their ancestors before them. The famous Standing Peachtree, located near the confluence of the Chattahoochee River and the Peachtree Creek, was the most prominent Native American village near modern-day Atlanta.
The European Americans who arrived in the early 1800s were the first non-native settlers in the area. The group settled in rather swiftly and slowly pushed away the native settlers until 1821 when they Creek Indians were forcibly removed from the area by the federal government to pave way for more white settlers. With the construction of a railway terminal in 1837, a town-like settlement was born in the current location of the Five Points district of Atlanta. Originally known as Terminus, the settlement underwent several name changes over the course of its development until the name Atlanta was arrived at right before its incorporation in 1847. By 1860, the town had a population of around 10,000 residents.
During the infamous American Civil War, Atlanta was a Confederate stronghold and the location of several major battles which eventually culminated in a win for the Union Army and a completely destroyed Atlanta city. Soon after the war, the reconstruction of Atlanta commenced; attracting an even larger population than before. Its popularity as one of the leading transportation in the region led to its promotion to the state capital of Georgia in 1868, a designation that was previously held by Milledgeville and Savannah.
Today, Atlanta is considered the New York of the South. The city boasts of a thriving economy, a well-established education sector, and world-class infrastructure among other outstanding features.
