Governor Archibald Bulloch

ARCHIBALD BULLOCH, president (the equivalent of governor) of Georgia, was born in Charleston, South Carolina in about 1730. His early education was attained in the common schools of his native state. He went on to study law, and eventually established his legal career in South Carolina. In 1757 he served in the South Carolina militia with the rank of lieutenant. After moving to Savannah, Georgia, Bulloch entered into politics. He first won election to the Commons House of Assembly of Georgia in 1768, a position he held as a member of the Liberty Party. He served as speaker of the Georgia Royal Assembly in 1772; and attended the pivotal meeting at Peter Tondee’s Tavern on July 24, 1774. He also served as president of the Georgia Provincial Congress in 1775 and that same year as a member of the Continental Congress. Along with his political career, Bulloch fought in the movement for independence from Britain. He participated in the Battle of the Rice Boats and commanded an expedition against the British and Tories on Tybee Island. Under the state’s transitory Republican government, Bulloch was named the first president (governor) and commander-in-chief of Georgia, a post he held from June 1776 until his sudden and mysterious death on February 22, 1777. He was buried in the Colonial Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. Bulloch County in eastern Georgia was named in his honor in 1796.