The Story of Fort King George Educational Tour and Assessment

The Story of Fort King George For many years during the 17 th & 18 th centuries (1600s & 1700s), the Spanish and the British fought one another in European battles.The battles were over territory, resources, and wealth. These differences existed in the colonies as well. In southeastern North America, the British, French, and Spanish all fought for control of territory in order to build colonies.

The Story of Fort King George As Europeans struggled for control of the Southeast, the area’s Native Americans were pulled into these struggles so that they too were involved in the hostilities. This had a very negative impact on their culture. The map below shows what Europeans thought North America looked like in The Colonial Southeast

The Story of Fort King George In order to keep the Spanish and French out of the area, in the 1720s the British built Fort King George near the entrance of the Altamaha River.They also built the fort to help strengthen their relationship with the area’s Native Americans and to keep open a trade route to the Native Americans who lived upriver. To the left is a plan of the fort drawn in 1722.

The Story of Fort King George The Altamaha River was a very important resource to Europeans.Rivers were the only way to travel in the colonial period.Also, the Altamaha River is Georgia’s largest river.In the 18 th century, whoever controlled the Altamaha controlled most of the southeast. Where FKG was built

The Story of Fort King George The Spanish sent people to protest Great Britain’s building of Fort King George on the Altamaha.However, the British refused to leave the fort.The Spanish sent Yamasee Indians to attack the fort in 1722.The fort’s soldiers successfully defended the fort.

The Story of Fort King George Life was very hard for the soldiers at Fort King George.By 1727, over 140 officers and soldiers had died.Therefore, in that year the fort was abandoned.The area along the Altamaha lay unsettled until 1736.

The Story of Fort King George In 1736, General James Oglethorpe brought families of Scottish Highlanders to the Atlamaha River basin. They settled near Fort King George and started the town of Darien.The Scots were well known for their survival skills and their ability to fight well on the frontier.

The Story of Fort King George Eventually, the British were able to defeat the Spanish at the Battle of Bloody Marsh on Saint Simons Island in July, 1742.They could not have done so without the brave performance of the Scots that day at the battle.British success at this battle meant that they would keep control of Georgia with no more threats from the Spanish.

The Story of Fort King George Fort King George was important for several reasons:  By keeping the French and Spanish out of the area, it helped the British gain control of the Southeast  It gave the British control of the Altamaha River.  It helped lead toward the settlement of Georgia in  It served as an example for the settlement of the Scottish Highlanders there in 1736.