A number of significant historical events have occurred in Georgia during the month of July. 1700-1749 1733 The founders of Congregation Mickve Israel, the South’s oldest Jewish congregation, arrived in Savannah. 1742 The Battle of Bloody Marsh, a skirmish between English and Spanish forces on St. Simons Island, took place on July 7. 1750-1799 1782 Following its defeat in the Revolutionary War, the British army left Savannah on July 11.

Kenny Leon, the artistic director of the Alliance Theatre from 1990 until 2001, performs the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the company's 2002 production of A Christmas Carol. Photograph by Eric Richardson The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the rights holder.

The restored magazine building was constructed from tabby and brick ca. 1740. Powder and ammunition were stored in the existing rooms, while the missing north section was used for soldiers' quarters and offices. Image from HAL333 The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the rights holder.

The Late Cretaceous oyster, Crassostrea cusseta, pictured alongside a hammer measuring 33 centimeters in length, could grow to 60 centimeters. This specimen was found at the Blufftown Formation in Stewart County. Photograph by David R. Schwimmer The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the rights holder.

The Nature of Chiefdoms Prior to European exploration, the Indians of Georgia and other parts of the Southeast had achieved the highest level of political organization north of the Mesoamerican Aztec and Maya states. These southeastern political organizations are termed chiefdoms by anthropologists. A chiefdom, ruled by a hereditary and often semi-divine chief, was typically a multiple town organization, with a population in the low thousands. The chief resided in a capital town, with other towns paying tribute to support him and his family, part-time craftspersons, and military expeditions.