1. The Colony of Georgia
Standard SS8H2: The student will analyze the colonial period of Georgia’s history.
a) Explain the importance of James Oglethorpe, the Charter of 1732, reasons for settlement, Tomochichi, Mary Musgrove, and the city of Savannah
b) Evaluate the Trustee Period of GA’s colonial history emphasizing the role of the Salzburgers, Highland Scots, malcontents, and the Spanish threat from Florida.

3. A Colony Proposed
Sir Robert Montgomery, Aaron Hill, and Amos Kettleby proposed the creation of “Margravate of Azilla” An area west of the Savannah River
Dr. Thomas Bray proposes a colony in the New World to help debtors
England’s debtors prisons’ conditions were horrible
England was overcrowded and had high unemployment
After Bray’s death Oglethorpe and John Percival asked the King for permission to create a colony

4. Georgia is Created June 20, 1732 Georgia received its official charter
Charter of 1732 – a legal document that allowed Georgia to be created
Georgia would be a charter colony for 20 Years
Savannah River was its Northern border & Altamaha its Southern
Georgia stretched across all of North America

5. James Oglethorpe At 25 was elected to Parliament
Became a leader in Prison Reform
A close friend had died in debtors prison, Robert Castell
Asked King George II for a land grant
Known as the Father of Georgia

6. James Oglethorpe

7. Georgia’s Purposes
Charity – help relieve poverty and unemployment in Britain
Economics – Increase Britain’s trade and wealth, more land and power, mercantilism
Defense – to act as a buffer for South Carolina against Indians, France, and Spain.

8. Georgia’s Purposes
Religion was also a reason, though not stated in the charter – Religious Freedom
New home for Protestants being persecuted in Europe
Georgians were free to worship as they pleased
Catholics were not allowed in the colony of Georgia.
Why?

9. Georgia a Trustee Colony
The 21 Trustees ran the colony
Trustees were prohibited to…
* receive a salary
* hold public office
* own land
* pass laws but passed regulations instead
Trustees would choose who would go
* 35 families were selected
* Not one was a debtor
* Most were skilled laborers

10. November 1732 Georgians Set Sail
Sailed into Charles Town harbor on ship Ann
Oglethorpe found an area to settle called Yamacraw Bluff
Met John & Mary Musgrove Carolina traders, who became interpreters for Oglethorpe
Oglethorpe had to ask Chief Tomochichi, of the Yamacraws, permission to settle the land
February 12, 1733 colonists settled the land

11. Georgia’s First Settlement
Named it Savannah after the river
Savannah had a special design: created by Robert Castell
* Divided into squares
* Square was a neighborhood center
* Around each square were houses

12. Savannah

13. Difficulties & Growing Pains
Settlement was followed by 10 months of disease & death
New colonists arrived
* 40 Jews who were displaced from
Spain & Portugal
*Dr. Samuel Nunis a Jewish doctor was among these colonists, and helped the first medical crisis pass

14. New Colonists and New Settlements
Salzburgers A group of German Protestants forced to leave Germany asked to settle in Georgia
John Martin Bolzius was the leader of the Salzburgers.
They settled two new towns in Georgia, Ebenezer and New Ebenezer
They were against slavery in Georgia

15. John Martin Bolzius

16. Ebenezer and New Ebenezer

17. Difficulties & Growing Pains
Colonists complained about trustee regulations
* Restrictions on land ownership &
inheritance – only males could own
land ( 50 acres)
* Ban on slavery
* Prohibitions on rum – no hard liquor
Malcontents- unhappy British colonists in Georgia who wanted the ban on slavery lifted
Highland Scots – a group brought of fighters brought to defend GA and who were against slavery

18. Georgia Forts Fort: A military base used to protect against enemies
Parliament provided money to build forts
Why?
Georgia grew increasingly worried about the Spanish threat from La Florida
Built Fort Frederica for protection against Florida – grew to be the largest British military base in America

19. Indian Relations
Oglethorpe wanted to keep positive relationships with the Indians
Wanted to keep them as allies
Oglethorpe regulated trade with Indians so the Indians would not be taken advantage of

20. War With Spain England’s conflict with Spain escalates
King allows Oglethorpe to raise a regiment of 600 soldiers for Georgia
1739 Britain declared war on Spain
The English captured Florida’s Fort Diego

21. War With Spain
Tried to capture Fort Mose – the home of the Black Militia
300 Spanish soldiers, including members of Black Militia attacked Fort Mose at dawn.
Oglethorpe & his troops were defeated at Fort Mose and discouraged
They retreated back to St. Simons Island

22. Battle of Bloody Marsh
In June 1742, Georgia defenders pulled back to Fort Frederica.
On July , a Spanish force approached Fort Frederica
Oglethorpe hid troops behind bushes and trees

23. Battle of Bloody Marsh
Oglethorpe’s troops fired and a quick but fierce battle followed
Several days later the Spanish attacked again but were pushed back
Georgia had been saved from Spain
Oglethorpe was promoted to the rank of General
Chief Tomochichi’s nephew Toonahowi fights along side Oglethorpe

24. Oglethorpe
Oglethorpe returns to England
He never returns to Georgia
Married Elizabeth Wright at age 48
Served on Parliament for the next 10 years

25. Colony Declines
With Oglethorpe gone Trustees abandoned principles that made Georgia unique
Many colonists went back to England
Trustees lightened restrictions on land ownership and inheritance
In 1750 they lifted the ban on slavery

26. Georgia a Royal Colony A royal colony is governed by the King
In 1752 Georgia became a Royal Colony
In 1754, Captain John Reynolds arrived to become Georgia’s first Governor
Georgia had its own legislature
* Appointed upper house would advise
the governor
* Elected lower house was Georgians
first chance at self-government. They had to own 500 acres to be elected.

27. Georgia a Royal Colony
Reynolds was not popular or effective and was replaced after 2 years
His replacement was Henry Ellis
* increasing population
* improving economy
Georgia’s 3rd governor, James Wright, was its best
* improved GA’s defenses greatly
* He would be governor during the Revolutionary War