James Oglethorpe
Born in London 1696-educated and wealthy.
Love to try to help people
1722, member of Parliament’s House of Commons
Great Britain face with many problems-
-citizens can’t pay debt but debtors were strict and harsh = jail
Ex: Robert Castell-O’s friend
O was on a prison reform when learn Castell died smallpox
O angry at debtors
O workd to get laws passed that improved prison conditions and let 1000’s free
Now out of jail but no jobs so still couldn’t pay debt
Dr. Thomas Bray (clergyman) sugg colony be founded to help them. He died but O and 20 others developed plan to promise fresh start New World to “unfortunate but worthy indiv”
Summer 1730, O asked King George II for tract of land “SW of Carolina for poor persons of London”
2 reasons for beginning new colonies
1-balanced trading policy to make Great Britain self-sufficient
2. defensive buffers to protect British colonies from French, Spanish, Nat Amer
New Settlement could defend southern Carolinas from Spanish Florida.
Also protect from French (they pushing E from Missip River valley)
O’s group also listed economic reasons for settlement-since France and Spain made money off NA, so could Great Britain
Also said new colony could produce silk, cotton dyes, and wine (3 imports from France, Russia, and Spain)
Promised to send spices and fruit
British liked idea- King also liked more land and pwer for Grt Brit
Georgia offers religious freedom to mistreated Protestants of Cath Chrch in Europe
Charter of 1732
1732-King George II granted charter (legal doc granting spec rights and privileges)to O’s group as trustees (ppl who oversee property/responsibility on behalf of others) for estab colony in GA and managing it 21 yrs
grantd land btwn Savannah and Altamaha rivers extending W to “South Sea” (Pac Ocean)
In Charter-
Trustees could not own land, hold polit offices, or be given money for work
Catholics “papists”, black, liquor dealers, and lawyers can’t be colonists
Cath can’t b/c division btwn Cath Chrch and Chrch of England
Blacks can’t b/c not intro slavery to colony
Feared settlers won’t work if liquor was permitted
Lawyers can’t b/c wanted to settle differs out of court
Colony got instructions from King George II so couldn’t pass law without consent. Got around this by not having governor and using regulations or gov orders instead of laws. Still had same rights as British citizens
Reasons for Settlement
Search to find settlers in new colony.
Newspapers describe as mild temps, rich soil, new start
It was charitable and economical
Clergymen preached sermons, wrote religious books, raised $ by talking about goodness.
Trustees talked w/ applicants
Debtors and former prisoners couldn’t go
Paid for debtors to go to GA instead of prison (help aid economy of England)
Those chosen got 50 acres, tools, food for a yr
If could pay way-got 500 acres + permission to take 10 indentured servants
In exchange Colonist must agree to:
1-defend new colony
2-land can’t be sold, no $ borrowed on it- only passed to male heir
3-each received seeds and ag tools to cultivate land
4-use part land to grow mulberry trees for silkworms
5-obey all regulations estab by trustees
Left Gravesland, England to GA on Ann (114-125ppl) Nov 17, 1732. Took 88 days.
Ann had many animal. No record of ship being uncomfortable, but prob crowded.
Only 2 deaths on trip (babies)
Docked in Charleston, SC –stayed 1 day then put in at Port Royal (Beaufort), SC Jan 14, 1733
Tomochichi and Mary Musgrove
B/f Ann could set anchor, O wanted to make friends with Yamacraw Indians through Chief Tomochichi. Went to trading post for interpreter. Trade post operated by John and Mary Musgrove who was part NA part British. Mary interpreted and helped O and Tomochichi build close friendship.
Passengers waited on board til found perm settlement-18 mi from Savannah River
Feb 12, 1733- Tomochichi allowed Ann ppl to land on Yamacraw Bluff overlooking Savannah River. Settlement was 13th Brit colony in New World.
City of Savannah
Founded in 1733
At Yamacraw Bluff, set up 4 lg tents for shelter. Prepared land. W/in 2 wks, began building perm homes
O had no title w/ limited power but was accepted as leader of colony.
Got grants of land and made treaties with NA.
Had small fort and trained militia (citizens army) to defend settlement
Worked w/ Colonel William Bull and Surveyer Noble Jones to design future city
Basic pattern after Castell
4 squares- N and S had 20 lots,
E and W sides had 4 lrg lots for church/stores
Center or social/political/relig gatherings
Squares divided into blocks (tythings) and wards
10 house/block and 4 blocks/ward
Each settler expected to care for home, 5 acre garden at edge of town, & 45 acres in country.
1st months cultivated mulberry trees to feed silkworms
built sundial for time, gristmill to grind corn into meal, courthouse,
water well, and bakery
All done despite growing med problems due to lack of fresh veggies, change in climate, poor sanitation, hard phys labor. 40 settlers died 1st yr
The Role of the Salzburgers
March 1734-German Protestants arrived. They were forced to leave Salzburg, Germany (controlled by Catholics) Led by John Martin Bolzius-asked to live in GA. O took 25 mi S of Savannah. Began town Ebenezer “Rock of help”. This land marshy and poor soil so they asked O for better place. 1736, moved to Red Bluff on Savannah River. Built New Ebenezer.
1736, O went to Grt Brit. Returned w/ 300 new colonists (including more Salzburgers, Moravians, 2 relig leaders John and Charles Wesley. O then helped Salzburgers move to Fredrica on St. Simons Island.
Highland Scots
O wanted to protect GA from Spanish FL. Men of Scotland known for good soldiers. O got 175 Scots to settle S of Savannah, New Inverness, now Darien. Was only Gaelic speaking settlement in GA. Scots kept culture. Hard workers. When realized soil not good for planting, raised cattle and harvested timber instead. This encouraged other Highland Scots to emigrate to GA.
1739, Darien leaders asked for slavery to not be intro into colony. Earliest anti-slavery petition in south. Successful til 1749.
Malcontents
Most colonists from Scottish descent. Paid for voyage over to GA so not loyal to Britain. Wanted to buy land and enslave people. Resented limits in place by trustees that stopped them from doing this.
1736-when O returned from Grt Brit, he intro several new regulations w/ trustee approval.
Buying rum was against the law
No trading alcohol w/ NA
No slavery
Most didn’t like these new regulations. These and the passing land on only to male heirs divided colonists. Also facing economic hardships. Mulberry wrong kind for producing large amt of silk. Not able to grow hemp, flax, indigo (for dyes), or grapes (wine) and SC was doing well (had land, slaves, rum) This made GA settlers want slaves.
Began less and less support of trustees’ regulations. Malcontent settlers moved to where they could live more freely.
The Spanish Invasion
O had little time to worry about the upset settlers. War broke out btwn Great Brit and Spain. Great Brit controlled GA borders, Spain controlled Florida.
War broke out “War of Jenkins’s Ear”-
O invaded Florida w/ 2000 men. (most NA, settlers from GA and SC)
Tried to take major forts (St. Augustine) but Spanish militia held tem off. Spanish won and O retreated to St. Simons.
Next 2 years, many attacks but neither gaining ground.
Finally Highlands helped w/ surprise attack when Spanish troops came near St. Simon
This known as Battle of Bloody Marsh –not very though
O got smart. One of his soldiers deserted them and went to Spanish. O released a prisoner and sent note to deserted solder. Spanish intercepted it. It said British warships were on the way to attack. War ships really trading vessels but tricked Spanish into retreating b/c they thought they were outnumbered.
1743 O was called to Grt Brit to answer to charges for not capturing St. Augustine. Charges were dropped but he never returned to GA. William Stephens, trustees secretary, named president of colony. Not good b/c rum started being sold, ppl still wanted more land and slaves. 1750, allowed to have slaves and more land. Several leaders later, British didn’t want to fund colony any more. 1753 charter ended.
Summary
Not exactly what O or Grt Brit thought it would be.
Few debtors reached shores
Unhappy settlers moved elsewhere
Rum freely imported
Slavery introduced (1/3 of pop by end of charter)
Lack of continuity of leadership
Progress made
5500 ppl settled in GA
built new homes – started new lives
many protestants escaped to GA to escape prosecution- practice relig freely
Treaties with NA and w/o threat of Spanish ended for Brit military = GA safe
Religious, social, political accomp-orphanges, school, Wesley bros =Sunday school and 1st Methodist church
1750 women could inherit land
Trustees greatest accompl-ability for GA to survive hardships 1st 20 yrs. Set stage for GA to become successful and profitable royal colony
***This period is known as the Trustee Period*******