Cofounder of the Home Depot and a well-known philanthropist, Bernie Marcus has spent the past twenty-five years making a positive impact on the economic and social life of Georgia, as well as on the lives of many of the state’s residents. Originally from New Jersey, Bernard Marcus was born in 1929 and raised in Newark. His parents, recent Jewish immigrants from Russia, had little money, and the family lived in a poor section of the city.

Day of Prayer at Bethesda, a home established in 1740 for orphaned boys. Bethesda, near Savannah, is still in operation today. Courtesy of Bethesda School for Boys 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.

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are commonly found in Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains in places like the Chattooga River watershed. They also are found along the Ocmulgee River drainage system in central Georgia and along the Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia. Photograph by Terry Spivey, USDA Forest Service 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.

More than 3,500 Black Georgians served in the Union army and navy between 1862 and 1865. Enlistment occurred in two distinct phases, beginning on the federally occupied Sea Islands of Georgia and South Carolina in 1862-63, and resuming in northwestern Georgia and southern Tennessee in mid-1864, during the latter stages of the Atlanta campaign. Recruitment on the Sea Islands The arrival of Union warships prompted Confederate forces to evacuate Georgia’s coastal islands during February and March 1862.

A remarkable economic boom began in the 1950s as industries moved to the Augusta area to take advantage of the mild climate, cheap electricity, and nonunion labor. 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. Requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource should be submitted to the Georgia Archives.