OUR STATE and OUR NATION UNIT Georgia Studies 3 GEORGIA EVENTS EVENTS ELSEWHERE Colonial 1732 1732 Georgia King George II signs George Washington charter establishing born in Virginia 1732 - 1776 colony of Georgia CHAPTER 6 1733 The Founding of Georgia Oglethorpe and first Georgia colonists arrive at Georgia is Created Yamacraw Bluff Georgia as a Trustee Colony Georgia Becomes a Royal Colony 1734 German Salzburgers arrive in Georgia CHAPTER 7 Life of People in Colonial Georgia 1736 Oglethorpe and new colonists Regional Differences Among build Fort Frederica on American Colonies St. Simons Island The Ebenezer Community 1737 1737 Africans Come to America Construction of Fort Oglethorpe leaves England Georgia Society and Culture Augusta begins with 600 soldiers to defend Fort Frederica 1739 1739 Chief Tomochichi dies Britain declares war on Spain 1742 Oglethorpe’s forces defeat Spanish at Battle of Bloody Marsh 1743 Oglethorpe promoted to rank of general, returns to England 1750 In London, Trustees vote to allow slavery in Georgia 1751 Georgia’s first representative assembly meets in Savannah 1752 1752 Trustees give up charter; Britain adopts Gregorian Georgia becomes a calendar royal colony 1754 1754 Capt. John Reynolds arrives French and Indian War begins as Georgia’s first royal governor 1755 Georgia’s first slave code enacted 1761 James Wright becomes governor of Georgia 1763 1763 First newspaper,Georgia French and Indian War ends; Gazette,established Britain gives up claims west of in Georgia Mississippi River 1764 1764 Georgia’s southern New colonies of East and boundary defined West Florida created 1765 American colonies protest Stamp Act 1767 1767 Georgians begin choosing Colonists begin boycott of sides, becoming British goods Whigs or Tories 1773 1773 Creeks and Cherokees Boston Tea Party cede lands later called Wilkes County 1774 1774 Georgians split, send no Intolerable Acts; First delegates to Continental Continental Congress agrees Congress not to trade with Britain 1775 1775 Royal government in Georgia American Revolution begins loses power Chapter Outline Chapter 6 Georgia Is Created Foreword Georgia’s Boundaries Georgia as a Trustee Colony The First Colonists Sail to Georgia Georgia’s First Settlement Growing Pains Building Forts Georgia Standards of Excellence Indian Relations Correlations War With Spain The Colony Declines SS8H2 Georgia Becomes a Royal Colony SS8E2 The French and Indian War The Proclamation of 1763 The Colony Prospers SS8H2 Analyze the colonial period of Georgia’s history. a. Explain the importance of the Charter of 1732, including the reasons for settlement (philanthropy, economics, and defense). b. Analyze the relationship between James Oglethorpe, Tomochichi, and Mary Musgrove in establishing the city of Savannah at Yamacraw Bluff. c. Evaluate the role of diverse groups (Jews, Salzburgers, Highland Scots, and Malcontents) in settling Georgia during the Trustee Period. d. Explain the transition of Georgia into a royal colony with regard to land ownership, slavery, alcohol, and government. e. Give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced and traded in colonial Georgia. SS8E2 Evaluate the influence of Georgia-based businesses on the State’s economic growth and development. c. Evaluate the economic impact of various industries in Georgia including agricultural, entertainment, manufacturing, service, and technology. UNIT 3 • COLONIAL GEORGIA Transcript AT FIRST GLANCE This chapter describes Georgia’s founding as the 13th American colony by James Oglethorpe and the trustees. The major reasons for its founding are presented. The chapter traces the struggles of the trustee colony and its eventual decline. The beginning of self-government under rule as a royal colony is covered along with an analysis of the effect on Georgia of the French and Indian War and the resulting peace treaty. The Founding of Georgia James Edward Oglethorpe watches over visitors in Savannah’s Chippewa Square. This Georgia Is Created well-known sculpture was done by Daniel Chester French and placed in the square in 1910. Georgia as a Trustee Colony Georgia Becomes a Royal Colony CHAPTER 6 In the year 1696, Eleanor and Theophilus Oglethorpe celebrated Christmas in England with their new baby son, James Edward Oglethorpe. The last of 10 children, James would prove to be the most famous of the Oglethorpes of Surrey County, England. At age 25, James Oglethorpe was elected to Parliament1 , the national legislature of Great Britain*. There he learned about the many problems facing his country. The British were having hard times at home, especially in their cities and towns. There were not enough jobs, and many people were in debt. Those who couldn’t pay their debts were often thrown into prison. As a result, London’s jails were overcrowded with thousands of unfortunate debtors. Convinced that something had to be done, Oglethorpe became a leader in Parliament for prison reform. As a result of his work with a jails committee, many debtors were released from prison. They joined other homeless, hungry people in London who could not find work. Wanting to help even more, Oglethorpe met with John Percival, an influential member of Parliament who had served on the jails committee. Why not ask the king for a new colony in America and allow released debtors and other unfortunate poor to be sent there on charity? Percival agreed, so they asked King George II for a grant of land south of the Carolina frontier. In his honor, they proposed that it be called Georgia. * Great Britain - In 1707, England and Scotland united to form Great Britain. The agreement allowed each country to keep its name and boundaries, but the national government would be called “British”—not “English.” 118 UNIT 3 • COLONIAL GEORGIA Vocabulary 1 Parliament - The national legislature of Great Britain. CHAPTER 6 • THE FOUNDING OF GEORGIA Georgia is Created On June 20, 1732, Georgia received its Although the charter did not refer to the official charter. This important legal threat of Spanish or French forces, its document, issued by the British backers clearly saw Georgia as a buffer government, specified the colony’s against that threat. boundaries, its form of government,the Though not stated in the charter, religion powers of its officials, and the rights of its was a fourth reason for Georgia’s creation. settlers. England saw the new American colony as According to its charter, Georgia had three a home for Protestants being persecuted purposes: in Europe. 1 Charity*: To help relieve poverty and European nations commonly had an unemployment in Britain. Georgia was official state religion. The Anglican Church, seen as a home for the “worthy poor”— a Protestant body, was the Church of particularly those crowding the streets England. For Spain and France, the official of London. church was Roman Catholic. Unfortunately, Catholics and Protestants had problems 2 Economics: To increase Britain’s trade getting along with each other, and Transcript and wealth. Georgia would fit neatly religious differences in Europe carried into the mercantile system, providing over to the New World. needed agricultural products while serving as a valuable market for British Georgia’s charter did not impose an official King George II issued Georgia’s goods. church for the colony, and persons coming charter in 1732. to Georgia would be free to worship as 3 Defense: To provide South Carolina they pleased. The charter’s guarantee of with a buffer against Indian attacks. * Charity - The charter of 1732, establishing Georgia as a trustee colony, was founded largely on General Oglethorpe’s idealistic intention of bringing “many of our poor subjects” to Georgia “to extend our fatherly compassion even to the . most unfortunate of our people.” Initially, Georgia’s trustees adopted the Latin motto, “Non sibi sed aliis” or “Not for self, but for others.” The idea of helping those less fortunate was known at the time as “charity” or “relief.” Today we more commonly refer to these actions as “philanthropy” or “humanitarian giving.” 119 CHAPTER 6 • THE FOUNDING OF GEORGIA If Georgia included all the land assigned to it when chartered in freedom of religion, however, specifically the Savannah River. Thus, that river was 1732, the city of Los Angeles would excluded Catholics because of the threat selected as Georgia’s northern boundary. be our state’s largest city. Name the of Spanish (and Catholic) Florida to the The Altamaha River—the largest river on present-day states that would be south. Georgia’s coast—would be its southern part of Georgia. border. At the head of each river, a English concerns about Catholic Florida line would be drawn due west to were further heightened because Florida had a policy of giving freedom to any English slave who would convert to Catholicism. Some South Carolina slaves did escape, converted, and became Spanish subjects. Thus, white Carolina colonists were happy to see a new English colony to their south. Maybe this would stem the number of slaves escaping to Florida. Also, Georgia’s existence would make it more difficult for former slaves Los Angeles living in Florida to return and spark a slave rebellion. Georgia ’s Boundaries in 1732 GEORGIA’S BOUNDARIES At the time of Georgia’s creation, South Carolina had no settlements south of 120 CHAPTER 6 • THE FOUNDING OF GEORGIA LOCATING the M A I N IDEAS the Pacific Ocean. On paper, Georgia 1 Define: Parliament stretched across the entire continent of 2 Identify: John Percival, King North America. George II, Georgia’s Charter Spain and France protested Britain’s of 1732 attempt to colonize an area that they 3 What events led Oglethorpe also claimed. Britain, however, pointed to propose the creation of a out that Spain long ago had withdrawn new colony? its missionaries and soldiers from the region. For the time being, neither Spain 4 What four things did nor France was in a military position to Georgia’s charter specify? challenge the new colony of Georgia.