Few places in the United States feel the impact of courthouse disasters like the state of Georgia. Over its history, 75 of the state's counties have suffered 109 events resulting in the loss or severe damage of their courthouse or court offices. This book documents those destructive events, including the date, time, circumstance, and impact on records. Each county narrative is supported by historical accounts from witnesses, newspapers, and legal documents. Maps show the geographic extent of major courthouse fires. Record losses are described in general terms, helping researchers understand which events are most likely to affect their work.

Praise for the previous edition:"The author's straightforward, informative writing style makes this book easily readable by secondary school and college students."-BooklistFrom the Black Plague that spread across Europ

From the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 to the Sandy Hook school massacre of 2012, this two-volume encyclopedia surveys tragic events—natural and man-made, famous and forgotten—that helped shape American history. Tragedies and disasters have always been part of the fabric of American history. Some gave rise to reactions that profoundly influenced the nation. Others dominated public consciousness for a moment, then disappeared from collective memory. Organized chronologically, Disasters and Tragic Events examines these moments, covering both the familiar and the obscure and probing their immediate and long-term effects. Unlike other works that concentrate on a particular type of disaster, for example, weather- or medicine-related tragedies, this two-volume encyclopedia has no such limits. Its entries range from natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, to civic disturbances, environmental disasters, epidemics and medical errors, transportation accidents, and more. The work is a perfect supplement for history classes and will also prove of great interest to the general reader.