GEORGIA – BRITAIN’S 13TH COLONY

An New Colony

• A new English colony south of the Savannah River would be a buffer to protect the Carolinas from the French, Spanish, and Indians.

• Several attempts were made to begin this new colony to be called Georgia after King George II.

• Fort King George was the first location but was unsuccessful due to illness.

• Finally, in 1732, James Oglethorpe convinced King George II to let him try to establish a new colony called Georgia.

The Founding of Georgia• James Oglethorpe was the founder of the

Georgia colony.• King George II gave Oglethorpe the charter for

the colony in 1732.• There were 3 purposes:– Charity for the “worthy poor”– Economics – for the mercantile system– Defense for South Carolina

Terms to Know and Discuss

• charter – a legal document giving grants of land

• Trustees – the 21 men given the responsibility to organize and manage the Georgia colony

• Parliament – legislative branch of the British government

• How did the Trustees motto describe them?

Boundaries

• The charter of 1732 stated that Georgia’s boundaries would be:– Savannah River the northern boundary– Altamaha River the southern boundary– Pacific Ocean the western boundary!!!

Setting up the Colony

• Georgia would be governed by 21 trustees for 21 years.

• They could not receive a salary as trustee, own land in Georgia, or hold public office in Georgia.

• Their motto was “Not for ourselves but for others.”

• Oglethorpe was one of the trustees.

The “Worthy Poor”

• Charity was offered to people who the trustees felt deserved it.

• The “worthy poor” were people who were hardworking, had a skill, and were down on their luck.

• No lazy beggars looking for a handout were allowed in Georgia!

• The people who came on charity got free land, weapons, tools, seed, and food.

The Trustees Rules

• Anyone coming to Georgia had to follow certain rules

• Limits on land ownership and inheritance – if anyone left Georgia they had to return the land and only men could inherit.

• No slaves• No rum• No Catholics

Settlers Arrive• The ship Anne brought 114 settlers from England

to Georgia.• After stopping 1st in South Carolina, Oglethorpe

went to Georgia to find the best place to settle.• He met John and Mary Musgrove, traders from

South Carolina, who introduced Oglethorpe to Yamacraw Chief Tomochichi.

• Tomochichi gave Oglethorpe the land on Yamacraw Bluff on the Savannah River to build his settlement.

Oglethorpe meets Tomochichi

Savannah

• On February 12, 1733, settlers came ashore at Yamacraw Bluff and began building the settlement of Savannah named after the river.

• There were hardships. The greatest problem came from drinking river water and within 10 months 1 of four settlers died.

• When a new well was dug, the problem was solved and Savannah grew.

Savannah Settlement

Other Groups Arrive in Georgia

• The Scotch Highlanders

• The Salzburgers

The Scotch Highlanders

• The Scotch Highlanders came to Georgia from Scotland.

• The men were soldiers who came for the purpose of helping defend Georgia.

• Many brought their wives and children.

The Salzburgers

• The Salzburgers were German speaking people from Salzburg, Austria.

• They were Protestants who came to Georgia to escape religious persecution in Europe.

• Oglethorpe gave them land north of Savannah which they called Ebenezer.

• The land was swampy and they moved to a better location which they called New Ebenezer.

Protests Against the Trustees Rules

• The Colonists protested against 3 of the Trustees rules:– Land Inheritance– No Slavery– No rum and other types of hard liquor

Protests Against Land Rules

• If colonists left Georgia, their land was given back to the Trustees to be given to another family.

• If a man died without a son, the land was also given back to the Trustees for redistribution.

• The colonists protested to the Trustees and eventually these land rules were changed.

Protests Against No Slavery

• Some colonists complained that since other colonies had slaves, Georgia should also.

• A group of Savannah colonists called The Malcontents sent a petition to the Trustees to allow slavery in Georgia.

• The Scotch Highlanders & Salzburgers spoke out against slavery.

• In 1750 the Trustees allowed slavery in Georgia.

Fort Frederica• To protect Georgia & South Carolina from

Spanish attack, Oglethorpe built Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island.

• It became the largest British fort in America.

• From this fort, the British defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Bloody Marsh.

• The Spanish never attacked Georgia after this.

Fort Frederica

A Royal Colony

• Oglethorpe left Georgia in 1743.• People began leaving because they did not like

the trustees rules.• The trustees tried to keep the Georgia economy

going by changing rules on slavery & land ownership.

• They were unsuccessful & Georgia became a Royal Colony in 1752 under direct control of the king.

Royal Governors• Georgia had three Royal Governors, Captain John Reynolds,

Henry Ellis, James Wright.• Under the first Royal Governor, Captain John Reynolds,

government changed:– Georgia had its own legislature called the Commons House of

assembly.– White males owning 50 acres could vote to elect men to serve in

this legislature. This gave Georgians a voice in self-government.– White males owning 500 acres could serve in the colonial

legislature– Parishes were established to collect taxes.

French & Indian War

• In 1754, Great Britain went to war against the French and their Indian allies over control of America.

• The British won. The French lost Canada and land east of the Mississippi River. The Spanish who had helped the French, lost Florida.

• Georgia’s boundaries changed: the western boundary was the Mississippi River.

The Colonies in 1763

Georgia Prospers

• In 1763, King George III of England passed the Proclamation of 1763 which stated that all land west of the Appalachian Mountains was reserved for the Indians.

• Since people could not move west, they came south to Georgia!

• Georgia gave away land by the headright system: the head of a family received 100 acres and an additional 50 acres for each family member, indentured servant, or slave.

Lifestyles of Colonial Georgians• Colonial Social ladder:• Education: There was no school system. The wealthy had

tutors. Most children who learned to read and write were taught by their parents. Many never learned.

• Religion: Most Georgians were Anglicans.– John and Charles Wesley came to Georgia as preachers, and

John started the Methodist Church.– George Whitefield was an Anglican minister who started the

Bethesda Orphan House– Dr. Samuel Nunes was a Jewish immigrant who helped the

colonists.

Indian Trade Rules

• Anyone trading with the Indians had to:– Pay a fee to get a license– Set official exchange rates for animal skins– Agree to follow all trade rules

Indian Relations

• It was important to keep good relations with the Indians because they were important allies if the Spanish attacked.

• The traders often cheated the Indians.• Oglethorpe built Ft. Augusta in the

backcountry to control Indian trade.• He made rules regulating Indian trade.