Georgia's First Elected Governor: John Adam Treutlen and the American Revolution

Few figures better illustrate the promise and peril of Revolutionary Georgia than its first elected governor, John Adam Treutlen. A German immigrant who arrived in colonial Georgia as an indentured servant, Treutlen rose against overwhelming odds to become the state’s chief executive at the most precarious moment of the American Revolution.Drawing on original archival research in American, British and German sources, this book reconstructs Treutlen’s extraordinary life from his childhood in Germany and formative years at the Salzburger settlement at Ebenezer, through his service in the royal assembly, to his rise as a revolutionary leader. Alongside his personal story, the book traces Georgia’s development from trusteeship to royal colony and finally an independent state.Treutlen’s murder in the South Carolina backcountry, at the hands of Loyalists, stands as one of the Revolution’s starkest reminders that independence came at a profound cost. Georgia’s First Elected Governor: John Adam Treutlen and the American Revolution restores Treutlen to his rightful place in history and more fully tells the story of Georgia’s uncertain evolution toward self-government.Written by the President & CEO of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the American Revolution, Georgia history or genealogy. Proceeds from the sale of the book will directly benefit the Georgia Trust. Read more