The Colonization of

Georgia

I. European Discovery

A. After Columbus discovered the New World, many European groups came to Georgia.

B. Spain sent explorers, like Hernando de Soto, here and later established missions on the barrier islands (regions: Guale & Mocama).

C. The French were run out by the Spanish and later the Spanish were run out by the British.

D. Europeans began looking for slaves in Georgia.

European Discovery Cont’d

E. Europeans would supply guns and ammunition to a

group of Indians only if this group would give them

other Indians as slaves as a payment.

F. So armed war parties would raid and capture

Indians from other tribes or villages and give away

the captives as slaves.

G. For protection unarmed groups would seek out the

Europeans for guns which meant that they would

enslave other unarmed Indians.

European Discovery Cont’d

H. The combination of the European diseases, such as

smallpox, and the slave trade wiped out many of

the native groups from the Mississippian Era.

I. Europeans also traded with the Indians for deer

skins as well as other animal hides.

J. The Indians lost their ability to provide for their

own needs as they became dependant on the

Europeans for weapons, tools and other supplies

and/or technology.

II. Britain Colonizes Georgia

A. The idea for creating a colony in Georgia was

proposed by Sir Robert Montgomery, Aaron Hill

and Amos Kettleby. It was to be called the

Margravate of Azilia. However, this plan failed

due to a lack of funds.

B. In 1730, a group of men led by James Edward

Oglethorpe gained permission from King George

II to start the Georgia Colony.

C. Georgia was named for King George II.

III. Why did Oglethorpe Found Georgia?

A. James Oglethorpe was a member of the British

Parliament (similar to U.S. Congress) and he was

wealthy.

B. At this time people who couldn’t pay their debts

were thrown into debtor’s prison.

C. One of Oglethorpe’s friends (Robert Castell) died

in debtor’s prison so he wanted to find a way to

help the working poor.

D. Letting someone out of prison wasn’t enough

because there weren’t many jobs for them.

E. Oglethorpe with the help of Lord John

Percival and nineteen other men carried out the

ideas of Dr. Thomas Bray who was a

humanitarian that believed a new colony could

be started for these poor people.

F. Thus, the colony of Georgia was intended to

provide a new start for these “unfortunate but

worthy people.”

G. The group obtained a charter (legal

document) from the King to start a new colony

South of the Savannah River.

IV. Reasons for Founding Georgia

A. Charity: a place to send the poor and/or

debtors for a new start in life.

B. Economics: to provide a balanced trading

policy for Britain as a part of the

mercantilism policy where exports >

imports. Georgia would provide raw

materials and agricultural products to

Britain while also serving as a market to

buy goods from the British factories.

C. Defense: South Carolina was a valuable British

colony where many plantations existed. Georgia was

to be a buffer between South Carolina and the

Spanish, French and Indians. In other words, Georgia

was the first line of defense for South Carolina.

D. Religious Freedom: Georgia would be a safe-

haven for Protestants that were persecuted in Europe.

However, NO CATHOLICS would be allowed in

Georgia because the primary enemies of Britain

(Spain and France) were Catholics.

V. Georgia’s Boundaries

A. Savannah River was

Georgia’s northern

boundary.

B. Altahama River was

Georgia’s southern border.

C. Georgia’s western border

was the Pacific Ocean.

D. Georgia’s eastern boundary was the Atlantic

Ocean.

VI. Georgia’s Charter

A. June 7 , 1732 Georgia’s charter was granted.

B. 21 Trustees (including Oglethorpe and Percival) were

placed in charge of governing the colony. (A trustee is

someone who is placed in a position of trust or

responsibility on behalf of others.)

C. No one owned Georgia, and the trustees could not

benefit from their governing decisions because they

were not allowed to own land in Georgia, receive a

salary or hold public office.

D. Trustee motto: “Not for ourselves but others.”

VII. Trustee Decisions

A. The trustees saw Georgia as a social experiment and

they wanted to create a model society. To make these

things happen their rules were strict!

B. To prevent an upper class from developing land

ownership was limited.

1. Colonists who came on charity received 50 acres.

2. Colonists who paid their own way received 50 acres

for themselves plus 50 acres for each family member

or servant up to a maximum amount of 500 acres.

C. The trustees wanted a man trained to defend

the land so only men could inherit and own

land. A wife or daughter lost the land if the

husband died with no son to inherit it.

D. Land could not be swapped, sold, leased or

borrowed against.

E. Many of the original land grants were

swampy and not suitable for farming but the

trustees refused to issue new grants.

F. Slavery was forbidden in Georgia.

G. No rum or other hard liquors were allowed in

Georgia.

H. The trustees had to raise money to pay for the

expense of sending people to Georgia along

with the supplies that they would need to

survive and build a colony. Sermons,

newspapers, pamphlets, etc. advertised the

need for people who were willing to go to

Georgia or donate money to help the trustees

send colonists there.

VIII. Finding Colonists A. Those who were willing to come to Georgia were

promised…

1. 50 acres

2. food for a year

3. tools.

B. 35 families (114) people were picked by the trustees – NO DEBTORS WERE SENT!

C. They came on a ship called “Anne” and only two deaths were reported…both infants.

D. After first landing at South Carolina and sending scouts to Georgia the people landed on February 12, 1733 – a date now celebrated as Georgia Day.

E. Colonists who came to Georgia had to agree to the

following…

1. Defend the colony against all

enemies.

2. Obey all the trustee rules.

3. Agree to plant mulberry trees

on a portion of their land. This

was done in the hopes that silk

would be produced in Georgia by

the silk worms as they feed on

the mulberry leaves.

F. Reasons no debtors came is because the trustees chose to

bring families who were skilled artisans or craftsmen

(carpenters, blacksmiths, etc.) and merchants (businessmen).

IX. Yamacraw Indians

A. A poor tribe of the Creek Indians known as the Yamacraw owned the land on the Savannah River where Oglethorpe wanted to build the first settlement.

B. The chief of the Yamacraw was Tomochichi.

C. John and Mary Musgrove (she was ½ Indian and ½ British) operated a trading post in the area. They (mainly she) served as translators between Oglethorpe (only trustee who came) and Tomochichi in exchange for an annual payment of 100 British pounds promised by Oglethorpe.

D. Due to disease, slaving raids, etc. the Yamacraw

Indians needed the help of the colonists. Therefore,

Tomochichi gave Oglethorpe the land known as

Yamacraw Bluff where Savannah was built.

E. Yamacraw Bluff was of little use to the Indians

because it had been over hunted and this tribe wasn’t

reliant on farming.

F. Oglethorpe and Tomochichi became good friends

and the chief even went back to England for a visit

with Oglethorpe. Oglethorpe tried to regulate trade

among the colonists and Indians because the Indians

were often cheated.

X. Savannah A. Named for the Savannah River, this was the first

planned city in America as Oglethorpe designed the

city using squares. Oglethorpe used the plans of his

dead friend along with the help of Colonel William

Bull and Noble Jones. The city had four squares.

B. Life was difficult…

1. Hard physical labor was required.

2. Climate was very hot and humid!

3. A lack of fresh vegetables

C. The first major problem that the colony had was

bad drinking water because they were using the river

water.

D. Forty people died the first year including the

doctor.

E. Luckily things improved with new settlers arrived

and a well was dug. Among the new settlers were 40

Jews and a doctor.

F. Other groups came as well including the

Salzburgers who were German speaking Lutherans

built a settement called Ebenezer.

G. Oglethorpe lived in a tent until all of the other

colonists had their houses built. He was the official

leader of the colony.

1734 – Oglethorpe returned to England to brief the trustees on Georgia’s status and took Tomochichi and a delegation of Creeks with him. The Creeks pledged their friendship to the trustees and met the king and queen.

XI. Building forts

A. Parliament agreed to provide

funds to build forts along

Georgia’s southern border.

B. Scottish Highlanders built a

fort at Darien.

C. Fort Frederica was built on St.

Simons Island and in time

housed Britain’s largest

military base in America.

D. During Oglethorpe’s visit to London

the charity was dropped as a reason for

the colony. DEFENSE became the

main purpose.

E. Scottish Highlanders were recruited

because they were farmers and

professional soldiers. They rebuilt Fort

King George in preparation for a war

with Spain.

XII. Malcontents

A. Many settlers were upset with the strict rules.

B. The mulberry trees were the wrong type.

C. There were problems growing hemp, flax and

indigo.

D. Neighbors in South Carolina were doing well

because using slave labor they grow rice, cotton

and tobacco.

E. The Salzburgers and Highland Scots were against

slavery because it made people lazy.

XIII. War with Spain A. 1739 – Britain declared war on Spain and Oglethorpe took action in GA by leading invasion force into FL.

B. Despite early success,

Oglethorpe’s force was

forced to return to Georgia..

C. Two years later Spain invaded Georgia.

D. July 7, 1742 – Georgians won the Battle of Bloody Marsh on St. Simons Island. This saved the Georgia Colony.

E. Oglethorpe was promoted to the rank of general

F. This war is known as the War of Jenkin’s Ear. It is so named because the Spanish cut off the ear of a British officer.

XIV. A Royal Colony

A. After Georgia was saved from the Spanish

Oglethorpe went back to England to answer

charges against him for his failure to capture St.

Augustine. He was cleared but never returned to

Georgia.

B. He had spent most of his wealth on establishing

Georgia and married Elizabeth Wright upon his

return to Britain.

C. After Oglethorpe’s departure in 1743 Georgia

remained under trustee control until 1752 as it was

governed by William Stephens, Henry Parker and

finally Patrick Graham.

D. The malcontents (people in Savannah) got their

way as the land restrictions were done away with as

were the bans on slavery and hard liquors.

E. In 1752, Parliament did not reserve any more

money for the running the colony and control of

Georgia was given to the King. Georgia was NO

longer a trustee colony. It became a ROYAL colony

like other British colonies in America.