▁declared ▁independence ▁from ▁Britain . ▁The ▁legisl ature , ▁then ▁a ▁un ic amer al ▁body , ▁met ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 7 – 1 7 7 8 — ret re ating ▁to ▁August a ▁when ▁the ▁British ▁captured ▁the ▁city . ▁They ▁were ▁not ▁in ▁August a ▁long ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 9 . ▁August a ▁changed ▁hands ▁three ▁times ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁finally ▁returning ▁to ▁American ▁possession ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 7 8 1 . ▁They ▁stayed ▁in ▁August a ▁until ▁the ▁British ▁left ▁Sav ann ah ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 7 8 2 ▁and ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁capital . ▁ ▁Move ▁to ▁August a ▁Between ▁ 1 7 8 3 – 9 5 , ▁the ▁Georgia ▁General ▁Assembly ▁met ▁in ▁both ▁Sav ann ah ▁and ▁August a — mov ing ▁from ▁there ▁when ▁t ensions ▁arose ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁cities , ▁causing ▁then ▁Governor ▁L yman ▁Hall ▁to ▁officially ▁res ide ▁in ▁both ▁places . ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 7 8 5 ▁the ▁General ▁Assembly ▁held ▁its ▁last ▁meeting ▁in ▁Sav ann ah — August a ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁official ▁capital ▁due ▁to ▁pressure ▁from ▁the ▁general ▁popul ace ▁to ▁have ▁their ▁capital ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁On ▁to ▁Louis ville ▁As ▁the ▁population ▁dispers ed — sh ifting ▁the ▁ge ographic ▁center , ▁it ▁was ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁state ' s ▁capital ▁needed ▁to ▁move ▁as ▁well