RALLY THREAD: Save America – Commerce, GA, March 26, 2022

The lion is just too big for a banner.

Once again, I will be MIA for this rally, so, I’m depending on the comments to relay what the man and his guest speakers have to say.

About Commerce, Georgia:

Native American history

Before European settlers arrived, the area around present-day Commerce was inhabited by the Creek and the Cherokee people.^[6]

The Lacoda Trail, which extended from present-day Athens to the north Georgia mountains, was a significant trade and travel route through this area. (Georgia State Route 334, which follows a 9-mile (14 km) section of this ancient trail, was designated the “Lacoda Trail Memorial Parkway” by the Georgia General Assembly in 1998.)

Local histories that originated in the mid-1800s describe a territorial war between the Creeks and Cherokees over the land in the county during the 1770s.^[7] This war never occurred. The Cherokees were decisively defeated by the Koweta Creeks in 1754. For about a decade after their 1754 defeat, all Cherokee villages in the Georgia colony and the Hiwassee River valley in North Carolina were abandoned.^[8] William Bartram traveled through northeastern Georgia in 1773 and described the Creeks as being completely dominant over the Cherokees.^[9] The Cherokees never occupied or held title to lands within the boundaries of Jackson County.

The Creek Confederacy ceded its lands east of the Oconee River in 1785.^[10] A subsequent treaty in 1793 ceded the remainder of the land that was to become Jackson County. The last corridor of Creek land, located west of Jackson County, was ceded in 1818.

The first permanent white settlement in Jackson County began near present-day Commerce on January 20, 1784, when German immigrant William Dunson was awarded a land grant on Little Sandy Creek. The settlement was named “Groaning Rock”,^[6] supposedly because of a nearby hollow rock formation that produced a moaning sound when the wind passed over it. (Descendants of William Dunson are still living on the original tract of land.)

A trading post was established by Eli Shankle near Groaning Rock in 1808, named “Harmony Grove”. The common explanation is that the name is a play on his wife, Rebecca’s, maiden name: Hargrove. There is also an old Appalachian hymn tune called “Harmony Grove”, found in an 1830 book called The Virginia Harmony. This tune is popular today as the melody to “Amazing Grace“.

The Harmony Grove Female Academy, the first all-female school chartered in the state of Georgia, was chartered by the state legislature on December 20, 1824.

The Harmony Grove post office was established on October 14, 1825; Russell Jones was its first postmaster.

On September 1, 1876, the North Eastern Railroad opened its line from Athens to Lula, which passed through the heart of Harmony Grove. The railroad line had the most significant impact on the shape of the city, which began expanding both directions along the line. These tracks are now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.

City history

The Harmony Grove community was officially incorporated as a town on December 24, 1884, including all areas within a one-mile radius of the railroad depot, one half mile east, and 400 yards west.

Harmony Grove Mills, Inc., was organized under the laws of Jackson County on April 3, 1893, for the purpose of processing and producing cotton textiles. It served various purposes over the years, including the manufacture of denim overalls and the earliest production of electricity in the city. The mill village created to house employees makes up a significant portion of the homes on the southeast end of Commerce today. The mill had been in operation under various corporations until the spring of 2004, when it closed operations and was sold; it has been used for warehouse storage space since, and is currently for sale. The building is still a major feature of the city.

Near the end of the 19th century, many began to feel that the name “Harmony Grove” was too long to write and sounded too much like a country village. In addition, many didn’t like the fact that mail frequently went to another post office by the same name in Dawson County. Harmony Grove was reincorporated and renamed “Commerce” on August 6, 1904, in an effort to address these concerns and reflect the city’s commercial dominance in the north Georgia cotton trade.^[11][12]

In 1959, a series of controversial town hall meetings were held to try to convince members of the federal Interstate Highway System to re-route the proposed Interstate 85, originally planned to go through Gainesville (Hall County), through Commerce and Lavonia (Franklin County). The proposal was changed, and the interstate was routed through Jackson County. Even more so than the railroad nearly a century before, this major transportation artery brought tremendous commercial advantage to Commerce, at a time it desperately needed it.

About the rally:

Venue:

Banks County Dragway
500 East Ridgeway Road
Commerce, GA, 30529

Special Guest Speakers:

David Perdue, Former United States Senator from Georgia and Candidate for Governor of Georgia

State Senator Burt Jones, State Senator from Georgia and Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

Herschel Walker, Heisman Trophy Winner and Candidate for United States Senate from Georgia

Representative Jody Hice, U.S. Representative from Georgia’s 10th Congressional District and Candidate for Secretary of State of Georgia

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. Representative from Georgia’s 14th Congressional District

Representative Andrew Clyde, U.S. Representative from Georgia’s 9th Congressional District

Vernon Jones, Former State Representative from Georgia and Candidate for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District

Mr. John Gordon, Candidate for Attorney General of Georgia

Patrick Witt, Candidate for Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner of Georgia

Tom Homan, Former Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Todd Starnes, Conservative Columnist, Commentator, Author, and Radio Host

Timeline of Events:

8:00AM – Parking Opens

2:00PM – Doors Open

4:00PM – Program Begins

7:00PM – 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump Delivers Remarks

About Save America

Over the past four years, President Donald Trump’s administration delivered for Americans of all backgrounds like never before. Save America is about building on those accomplishments, supporting the brave conservatives who will define the future of the America First Movement, the future of our party, and the future of our beloved country.  Save America is also about ensuring that we always keep America First, in our foreign and domestic policy.  We take pride in our country, we teach the truth about our history, we celebrate our rich heritage and national traditions, and of course, we respect our great American Flag.

• We are committed to defending innocent life and to upholding the Judeo-Christian values of our founding.
• We believe in the promise of the Declaration of Independence, that we are all made EQUAL by our Creator, and that must all be TREATED equal under the law.
• We know that our rights do not come from government, they come from God, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away. That includes the right to religious liberty and the right to Keep and Bear Arms.
• We believe in rebuilding our previously depleted military and ending the endless wars our failed politicians of the past got us into for decades.
• We embrace free thought, we welcome robust debate, and we are not afraid to stand up to the oppressive dictates of political correctness.
• We know that the rule of law is the ultimate safeguard of our freedoms, and we affirm that the Constitution means exactly what it says AS WRITTEN.
• We support fair trade, low taxes, and fewer job-killing regulations, and we know that America must always have the most powerful military on the face of the Earth.
• We believe in Law and Order, and we believe that the men and women of law enforcement are HEROES who deserve our absolute support.
• We believe in FREE SPEECH and Fair Elections.  We must ensure fair, honest, transparent, and secure elections going forward – where every LEGAL VOTE counts.