Georgia Studies Notes

James Edward Oglethorpe  Member of influential English family  Well educated & wealthy  In 1722, became a member of Parliament

His Importance to Georgia  While Oglethorpe was serving in Parliament, Great Britain had problems with unemployment  People were having problems with debt  The punishment for not paying debt was prison  Oglethorpe had a friend who died of small pox in prison, and began to push for prison reform

Oglethorpe’s Dream  Oglethorpe and several colleagues came up with an idea to start a colony in the New World for “unfortunate but worthy individuals”  In 1730, they asked King George II for a tract of land southwest of Carolina for settling the poor people of London

Economics, Defense, & Charity  England had two main goals when new colonies were formed 1. Economics: balanced trade to make England self-sufficient 2. Defense: buffers to help protect English colonies from French, Spanish & Native Americans  Oglethorpe & friends added one more to the list 3. Charity: new start for the worthy poor

Charter of 1732  On June 7, 1732, King George II granted a charter making Georgia a Trustee Colony  Trustees: people who hold responsibility on behalf of others, like a trustee government.  This charter included all land and territories between the Altamaha and Savannah Rivers westward to the Pacific Ocean

Limits of the Charter of 1732  Trustees could not own land, hold political office, or be given money for their work  Catholics, blacks, liquor dealers, and lawyers could not become colonists  Trustees were to receive instructions from the king & were only to manage the colony for a specific amount of time – 20 years

The First Georgians  All applicants were carefully investigated  No debtors or former prisoners were chosen  Those who were selected received:  Fifty acres of land, tools, and enough food for one year  Those who could pay their own way received:  500 acres of land and permission to take indentured servants

The Colonists’ Responsibility 1. To defend the colony against all enemies 2. Land given to colonists could not be sold or borrowed against 3. Colonists had to cultivate (grow crops on) their land 4. A portion of colonists’ land was to be used to grow mulberry trees to cultivate silk 5. All regulations established by Trustees had to be obeyed

The Voyage of the Ship Ann  Between 114 and 125 people with no debt sailed from London November 17, 1732 for Georgia  Their voyage took 88 days

Help for the Colonists  The land that became Georgia was already occupied when the new colonists arrived by the Yamacraw Indians  Oglethorpe sought the help of traders John and Mary Musgrove in getting settled among the native people  Mary was part Native American/ part British and became an interpreter for the colonists as they negotiated with Tomochichi, the Yamacraw chief

Oglethorpe & Tomochichi  With Mary Musgrove’s help, Tomochichi and Oglethorpe became close friends  Tomochichi allowed the colonists to settle on Yamacraw Bluff, at the mouth of the Savannah River  Georgia officially became the thirteenth English colony in the New World

The City of Savannah  The plan was for Savannah to have four squares  On the North & South side of each square were 20 lots 60 by 90 feet  On the West & East side larger lots were set aside for churches & stores  Center of each square was set aside for social, political, and religious gatherings  Squares were divided into blocks (wards) & each block had 10 houses

Plans for City of Savannah

Colonists Responsibilities  Care for own home  Cultivate mulberry trees to feed silkworms  Build sundial for telling time  Build gristmill, courthouse, water well, & bakery