The Season of our Colony

EssentialQuestions

• What were the reasons for Georgia’s settlement?

• Who contributed to the establishment of the Georgia colony?

• Who were the malcontents and what affect did they have on the Georgia colony?

• Which countries posed a threat to the Georgia colony?

War of Jenkin’s Ear

The War of Jenkin’s Ear broke out between Great Britain and Spain in 1739.

Several years earlier, Spanish sailors were said to have cut off the ear of Robert Jenkins, a British seaman, to serve as a warning to British ship captains smuggling goods off the Florida coast.

Oglethorpe welcomed the war! He wanted to invade Florida.

Oglethorpe organized an army of about 2,000 men with plans to capture Spanish forts in Florida.

Spain’s well-organized militia met Oglethorpe and his men in a surprise attack and forced the Georgians, South Carolinians, and their Indian allies to retreat to St. Simon’s Island.

The Battle of Bloody Marsh• Assisted by the Highland Scots, Oglethorpe

was able to defeat the Spanish.

• They waited in the dense woods along the marshes of St. Simon’s Island and took the Spanish by surprise.

• Georgia’s southern border was protected.

Georgia’s Colonists Become Discontent

South Carolina used slave labor to successfully grow rice, tobacco, and cotton on large plantations.

Farmers in Georgia wanted the same “success” that South Carolina farmers had.

Regulations enforced by Oglethorpe did not allow:

rum trade

buying large tracts of land

use of slave labor

MalcontentsThose who complained about the policies of the Trustees. Arrived without assistance and did not have the same loyalty to the colony's founders.

Could afford to purchase slaves and vast tracts of land and felt the policies of the Trustees prevented them from realizing their economic potential.

Why was the vision

of the trustees for

Georgia never

fulfilled?

Dissension caused many Georgians to move to

places where they could basically live as they

wished.

By 1742, Georgians were allowed to buy and sell

rum.

Slavery was introduced in 1750.

The colony named for King George II was

changing.

Oglethorpe left the Georgia colony for

England in 1743 and never returned.

The Post-Oglethorpe

Era Begins

Three different men served as president of the Georgia colony from the time Oglethorpe left the colony until 1754:

William Stephens

Henry Parker

Patrick Graham

In 1752, one year before the initial 21-year charter

was to expire, the trustees returned

Georgia to the authority of King

George II. It became a royal

colony.

Trustee Colony1732 - 1752

Board of Trustees Ruled Colony

Land Ownership Restricted to 50 acres, plus a town lot

for colonists on charity

No Established Church (Freedom of Religion Except

for Catholics

Slavery Prohibited

Royal Colony1752 - 1776

King Ruled Colony

Limits on Land Ownership Removed. Land distributed

under headright system (Family = 100 acres + 50 acres for each additional member,

servant, or slave

Anglican Church (Church of England)

Slavery Allowed

Who became the first royal governor of Georgia?

John Reynolds

◊proved ineffective

◊recalled at the end of 1756

2nd Royal Governor =Henry Ellis

◊established a sound foundation for government

3rd Royal Governor = James Wright

◊efficient administrator

◊popular governor

◊Georgia grew

Colonial Leaders of Georgia

Trustee Period

James Oglethorpe

1733-1743Resident Trustee

William Stephens

1743-1751 President

Henry Parker 1751-1752 President

Patrick Graham

1752-1754 President

Royal Period

John Reynolds 1754-1757Royal Governor

Henry Ellis 1757-1760Royal Governor

James Wright 1760-1776Royal Governor

What was Georgia’s 1st Government like?

Idea of self-governmentBicameral(two houses: Common House of Assembly & Governor’s Council representing 8 parishes both church and British government district)Court System

• In its first 20 years as a colony, Georgia’s population grew to 5,500 people, of which one-third were slaves. Protestants from Europe found safe haven in Georgia.

• Treaties with Native Americans and victory over the Spanish settlers in Florida provided security to the Georgia colonists.

Early Georgia Colony Accomplishments• The Bethesda Orphans Home was established in

Ebenezer.

• The orphanage later became Bethesda House School, where many of Georgia’s early leaders were educated.

• The Methodist Church was founded by John and Charles Wesley.

• The first Sunday School in America is established by the Wesley brothers.

• A successful court system was established and maintained.

• Women were able to inherit property.