Final answer:
Georgia experienced significant industrial growth following its statehood, transitioning from an agricultural to an industrial economy and developing cities like Atlanta. However, this transformation occurred after Georgia's involvement in slavery and a period of economic struggle during Reconstruction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Georgia experienced enormous industrial growth after it became a state. During the shift from an agricultural to an industrial economy, major Southern cities like Atlanta began to emerge as centers of national prominence.
The rise of the middle class and professional class helped to diversify the economy, moving away from the image of rural poverty. Despite the vision of Georgia's early founders who had intended for the colony to be free of slavery, by the 1750s, Georgia was deeply involved in slavery, producing rice with the labor of enslaved people.
After the Civil War and throughout the Reconstruction era, Georgia, like many Southern states, struggled with economic challenges due to a lack of industrial infrastructure and continued dependence on agriculture.
Sharecropping became prevalent as most farmers did not own their own land, perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Despite the initial lack of economic progress during Reconstruction, Georgia eventually began to transform its economy and social fabric, contributing to the broader industrial growth across the South.