The Augusta Chronicle was established in 1785 as the Augusta Gazette, making it one of the oldest continuously operating newspapers in the United States and the oldest in Georgia. Under the direction of early publisher John Erdman Smith, the paper was renamed the Augusta Chronicle and Gazette of the State in 1789. Throughout the nineteenth century, the newspaper evolved alongside the political and economic life of Augusta, serving at various times as a voice for states’ rights, Whig politics, and later Democratic interests.

The paper played a significant role in regional journalism, adopting innovations such as telegraphic news gathering and Sunday editions by the mid 1800s. During the Civil War and Reconstruction, its editors and owners, including Patrick Walsh, used the publication to shape public discourse on sectional politics, race relations, and economic development.

In the twentieth century, the Chronicle came under the ownership of Morris Communications, expanding into a major media enterprise while maintaining a prominent editorial voice in Georgia. It remains a leading daily newspaper in Augusta with a longstanding influence on local and state journalism.