Mr. Nussbaum - Georgia Colony

This page tells about the history of the Georgia Colony.

James Oglethorpe

In Between Spanish and English Territory

The colony of Georgia, located directly in between the English colony of South Carolina, and the Spanish colony of Florida, was the subject of frequent military invasions by both sides until the Yamassee War (1715-1716) left the area devoid of people.

A Debtor's Refuge

In 1732, James Oglethorpe received a royal charter for the Province of Georgia. It was named after King George II. Oglethorpe imagined the area as a refuge for England's poor people, who were crowded together in debtor's prisons. He believed the debtors would become farmers and possibly soldiers to defend the colony from the Spanish in Florida. In 1733, 116 settlers arrived in modern-day Savannah aboard the HMS ANNE. Georgia would become the last of the English colonies in the New World. Soon, immigrants throughout the world came to Georgia in the hopes of being awarded generous land grants and Georgia quickly become a major center for the export of rice, indigo, beef and pork.

The Spanish are Dispatched

In 1670, the first permanent English settlement in South Carolina was established at Albemarle Point. Many of the original settlers came from the Caribbean island of Barbados, including the new governor, William Sayle. A year before, in 1669, prospective Carolina settlers including John Locke wrote the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina, which served as an early form of government for the Carolina colony.