Gwinnett County is the southernmost Georgia county included in the Appalachian Regional Commission. It has always been characterized by both mountain and more Southern geography, including, for example, both a Cherokee presence and the historical cultivation of cotton. From its rural beginnings, it became first suburban, and has now become a mostly-urban part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Two dimensions of the title of this book stand out. First, it is a county history, but one that provides a state-wide and even national context. Second, the county’s history of white racist reaction to the Cherokee and to African-Americans is not exceptional, although clearly virulent. The fifteen essays collected here are all by professional historians, but represent a plethora of specializations which results in a rich tapestry. “This volume breaks the mold for the traditional history of a county by placing the story within the transformation not only of a specific region within Georgia but the South as a whole. It does so in a convincing, coherent way.” -- Paul M. Pressly. “Gagnon and Hild are to be commended for assembling such a broad spectrum of topics that offer deep insights into Gwinnett County, and frankly, Georgia, history.” -- George Justice. Co-editor Michael Gagnon teaches history at Georgia Gwinnett College and co-editor Matthew Hild teaches history at Georgia Tech.
Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2022. 268 pages with an Index, charts, graphs, illustrations and photos. The individual essays have their own notes. Trade paperback.