The 80th Georgia General Assembly began in Atlanta, Georgia in early 1869. This was the first session after the seat of government was moved from Milledgeville, Georgia following the Georgia Constitution of 1868. A new capitol building had yet to be built so sessions were held in the opera house on Marietta Street rented from H.I. Kimball.

The new General Assembly contained 153 House members and 44 Senators. It was the first General Assembly in Georgia history to have African-American members. All of the African-American men were temporarily expelled by the General Assembly by September 1868, and were reinstated by Act of Congress in 1870 shortly before the end of the 1870 session. The 80th Assembly was succeeded by the 81st Assembly, in which Democrats won a majority in both chambers and began to pursue harsh recriminations against Republicans in general and African-Americans in particular.

Members of the Georgia State Senate, 1868–1870 DistrictMember 1 Aaron Alpeoria Bradley. 2 Tunis G. Campbell, Sr. 3 E. D. Graham 4 J. M. Coleman 5 A. Corbitt 6 Joshua Griffin 7 M. C. Smith 8 B. F. Brutton 9 R. T. Nisbet 10 F. O. Welch 11 C. B. Wooten 12 C. R. Moore 13 William B. Jones 14 John J. Collier 15 W. T. McArthur 16 H. Hicks. 17 McWhorter Hungerford. 18 Benjamin Conley. 19 Joseph Adkins. 20 George Wallace. 21 William Griffin. 22 T. J. Speer. 23 W. J. Anderson. 24 B. B. Hinton. 25 E. J. Higbee. 26 A. D. Nunnally. 27 John Harris. 28 W. F. Jordan. 29 Josiah Sherman. 30 J. H. McWhorter. 31 William F. Bowers. 32 Jno. C. Richardson. 33 A. M. Stringer. 34 Milton A. Candler. 35 William T. Winn. 36 W. C. Smith. 37 W. W. Merrell. 38 Walker Brock. 39 A. W. Holcombe. 40 C. J. Wellborn. 41 John Dickey. 42 John T. Burns. 43 Joel C. Fain 44 B. R. McCutchen.

Members of the Georgia State House of Representatives, 1868–1870 DistrictRepresentativePartyResidenceAppling Isham Raddish Republican Baker A. M. George Baldwin Peter O'Neal Republican Banks William R. Bell Bartow F. M. Ford Bartow M. J. Crawford Berrien Thomas Paulk Bibb Henry McNeal Turner Republican Macon Bibb J. Fitzpatrick Bibb J. E. J. Franks Brooks W. A. Lane Bryan N. S. Houston Republican Bullock W. M. Hall Burke Malcolm Claiborne Republican Burke John Warren Republican Burke John A. Madden Butts T. M Harkness Calhoun Franklin L. Pepper Camden Virgil Hillyer Campbell W. S. Zellars Carroll John Long Catoosa A. S. Fowler Charlton F. M. Smith Chatham C. K. Osgood Chatham James Porter Republican Chatham James M. Sims Republican Chattahoochee W. A. McDougald Chattooga C. O. Cleghorn Cherokee N. J. Perkins Clarke Madison Davis Republican Clarke Alfred Richardson Republican Clay R. A. Tumipseed Clayton A. E. Cloud Clinch G. Lastinger Columbia J. M. Rice Columbia Romulus Moore Republican Coffee J. R.Smith Coweta F. M. Scroggins Coweta P. Sewell Cobb W. D. Anderson Cobb N. N. Gober Colquitt W. W. Watkins Crawford W. G. Vinson Dade Jas. C. Nisbet Dawson Joseph L. Perkins Decatur B. F. Powell Decatur John Higdon DeKalb W. H. Clarke Dooly Hiram Williams Dougherty Philip Joiner Republican Dougherty A. R. Reed Early H. C. Fryer Echols R. W. Phillips Effingham Morgan Rawls Elbert U. 0. Tate Emanuel J. A. Brinson Fannin Alexander Hearn Fayette P. H. Brassel Floyd Dunlap Scott Floyd M. Ballanger Forsyth H. C. Kellogg Franklin James A. Harrison Fulton E. M. Taliaferro Fulton J. E. Gullatt Fulton V. P. Sisson Gilmer Jas. M. Ellis Glasscock J. H. Nunn Glynn R.B.Hall Gordon R. A. Donaldson Greene Robert L. McWhorter Republican Woodville Greene Abram Colby Republican Gwinnett Louis Nash Gwinnett R. M. Parkes Habersham W . S. Erwin Hall David Whelchel Hancock William Henry Harrison Republican Hancock Eli Barnes Republican Haralson W. N. Williams Hancock W. H. Harrison Hart James Allen Harris W. J. Hudson Harris Samuel Williams Republican Heard M. Shackleford Henry J. A. Maxwell Houston J. W. Mathews Houston C. C. Duncan Houston M. R. Felder Jackson A. T. Bennett Jasper Thomas M. Allen Republican Jefferson Benjamin Ayre Jefferson Alexander Stone Republican Johnson J. W. Meadows Jones W. T. McCullough Laurens George Linder Republican Lee Samuel Lindsay Lee G. Page Liberty William A. Golden Republican Lincoln Piatt Madison Lowndes John W. O'Neal Lumpkin W. P. Price Macon Robert Lumpkin Republican Macon F. H. Fyall Republican Madison J. B. Moon Marion William M. Butt Mcintosh Tunis Campbell Republican Meriwether P. W. Chambers Meriwether W. H. F. Hall Monroe W. A. Ballard Monroe George H. Clower Republican Miller F. M. D. Hopkins Milton G. M. Hook Mitchell J. M. Burtz Montgomery John J. McArthur Morgan A. J. Williams Morgan Monday Floyd Republican Murray J. N. Harris Muscogee James G. Maull Muscogee Abraham Smith Republican Newton A. H. Lee Newton John F. Harden Oglethorpe James W. Adkins Oglethorpe James Cunningham Paulding S. F. Strickland Pickens S. A. Darnell Pierce R. W. Carpenter Pike R. A. Seale Polk L. H. Walthall Pulaski J. M. Buchan Pulaski S. F. Saulter Putnam S. C. Prudden Quitman L. C. A. Warren Rabun McKinzey Fincannon Randolph W. M. Tumlin Randolph David GofF Richmond E. Tweedy Richmond J. E. Bryant Richmond Thomas P. Beard Republican Schley Thomas F. Rainey Scriven W. D. Hamilton Spalding J. T. Ellis Stewart C. C. Humberand Stewart J. K. Barnum Sumter G. N. Harper Sumter John A. Cobb Talbot Marion Bethune Talbot J. T. Costin Republican Taliaferro W. F. Holden Tatnall Robert C. Surrency Taylor Frank Wilchar Terrell F. M. Harper Thomas J. R. Evans Thomas W. C. Carson Towns George W. Johnson Troup J. H. Caldwell Troup J. T. McCormick Twiggs Haywood Hughes Union John H. Penland Upson John C. Drake Walker W. B. Gray Walton John B. Sorrels Warren John Neal Warren S. G. Gardner Republican Ware Joseph D. Smith Washington R. W. Flournoy Washington William G. Brown Wayne G. W. Rumph Webster G. S. Rosser White C. H. Kytle Whitfield J.E.Shumate Wilcox Darling Johnson Wilkes Richard Bradford Wilkes Edwin Belcher Republican Wilkinson C. H. Hooks Worth James M. Rouse

African-American members

This was the first time in Georgia that African-Americans, including former slaves, were voted into office in large numbers.

Legislation

Public education The House passed a bill to establish a system of public school system on August 25, 1870 on a 70-29 vote. Bills had been filed by J. E. Bryant of Richmond, J. Mason Rice of Columbia, S. A. Darnell of Pickens, James Ward Porter of Chatham and Tunis Campbell Jr of Mcintosh. It was signed into law on October 13, 1870.

See also List of Georgia state legislatures

References