Georgia’s Colonization

Choosing the New Colonists As one of the trustees, it is your responsibility to choose the original colonists. You must, however, choose carefully, ensuring that you have people with the necessary skills and experience to help the colony grow and prosper. As a group, you must choose jobs that you all believe will benefit the colony.

Choosing the New Colonists What types of skills and experience did you look for? What skill(s) were most important to you and your group? Did you take more than one of any profession/skill? Which skills/experience/profession, if any, did you think unnecessary? Were there disagreements among the group? If so, how did you handle them?

Original List

Traveling to Georgia A New Perspective Now that you have been chosen as one of Georgia’s original colonists, you must decide what you will bring with you on your journey. You and your group are a family Each member of the family may bring only 5 items. You must decide what those will be. Follow the guidelines on the paper at your desk.

Traveling to Georgia Was it difficult to choose only 5 items? Did you choose personal, sentimental items or items that would be beneficial for the entire family? What were some of things you wanted to take but couldn’t? What feelings did you experience while attempting to choose your items?

The trustees agreed to: The colonists agreed to: Transport colonists to the new colony Provide fifty acres of land Provide tools Provide enough food for one year If they could pay their own way, colonists would get five hundred acres of land and permission to take ten indentured servants Defend the new colony against enemies Not sell or borrow money on land given to them, but could pass on land to heirs Receive seeds and agricultural tools and use them in cultivating the lands of the new settlement Use a portion of their land to grow mulberry trees so that silkworms would eat the leaves and eventually produce silk Obey all regulations established by the trustees

“Promises” Do you think the promises were a fair exchange? Why or why not? Which promise(s) do you think could cause problems? Would you have signed the agreement?

K-W-L Georgia’s Colonization KnowWant to KnowLearned

Three reasons for establishment of a colony (territories inhabited by some of its people and under it’s control) 1. Charity 2. Economics 3. Defense * Religion * Religion is not an official reason but an unspoken reason for all the colonies

Reasons for settling the Georgia Colony A. Charity- to give released debtors and other “worthy poor” a new start in life. B. Economic- to strengthen the economy through the mercantile system C. Defense “buffer zone” between South Carolina and Spanish in Fla. and also to protect against Indian attacks.

Mercantile System of Trade For mercantilism to work a country must be self sufficient. England did not have the resources to be self sufficient. For mercantilism to work England needed to find new resources for needed goods and raw materials. North America held the most promise for a new source of raw materials. The colonies would also be a valuable market for English goods

Mercantilism America  exported raw materials to England England  exported manufactured goods back to the Colonies.

Mercantilism (cont) Raw materials- exported by colonies to England. Fish, whale oil, furs, lumber, rum, corn, iron, wheat, tobacco, hides, indigo, naval stores. Manufactured goods- Imported by colonies from England. Cloth, glass, tools, china, furniture, firearms, wine, sugar, tea.

Georgia Becomes a Colony James Edward Oglethorpe and 20 other influential men in Great Britain made a plan to create a colony for the working poor. They envisioned a colony for people who faced jail time for bad debts.

Georgia Becomes a Colony (cont) In 1732, King George II created a charter allowing 21 Trustees, including Oglethorpe, to create a Georgia colony and oversee it for 21 years. It included the land between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers and extended west to the Pacific Ocean.SavannahAltamaha Oglethorpe promised that silk, dyes, wine, spices, and semi- tropical fruit would be sent from Georgia back to England.

Georgia Charter of 1732 The Founding of the Georgia Colony and State of Georgia In First Two Volumes of Gentleman's Magazine.

I. The Anne arrived February 12, 1733 II. The voyage was fairly easy-two people died, both were infants. III. Oglethorpe chose a site 18 miles up the Savannah River

The First Georgia Colonists Few debtors, former prisoners, or working poor ever made it to Georgia during its early settlement. Georgia’s first settlers were given land, tools, and food. They promised to defend the colony from invaders and to grow trees that would attract silk worms. Between 114 and 125 settlers sailed from England on the ship Ann in Oglethorpe befriended Tomochichi, chief of the Yamacraw Indians. Tomochichi led the settlers to Yamacraw Bluff overlooking the Savannah River. This became the first settlement of the new Georgia colony.Yamacraw Bluff

Savannah: Georgia’s Planned City Oglethorpe, surveyor Noble Jones, and Colonel William Bell designed the city of Savannah and built along the Savannah River to facilitate shipping. The streets formed several squares that were divided into blocks (called “tythings”) and wards. The center of each square was for social, political, and religious gatherings. All but three of Oglethorpe's original squares exist in Savannah today.squares Today, nearly 150,000 people live in Savannah. Click to return to the Table of Contents

B. Each settler (male adult) received 1. house lot 2. 5 acres on the edge of town for personal garden acres of land outside of town for large scale farming.

New Colonists Arrive in Georgia Catholics were not allowed to settle in Georgia under the charter signed by King George II. Forty original settlers died in the first year. In 1733, 42 Jews were allowed to settle in Georgia, including a much-needed doctor. In 1733, a group of German protestants from Salzburg arrived, and settled a town called Ebenezer, about 25 miles from Savannah. Three years later they moved to Red Bluff and settled New Ebenezer.New Ebenezer Oglethorpe and Chief Tomochichi returned from a trip to England in 1736 with 300 more settlers, including German protestants from Salzburg and Saxony. Religious leaders John and Charles Wesley also arrived in Georgia.

German Salzburgers

Highland Scots

Georgia’s Colonists Become Discontent Regulations enforced by Oglethorpe did not allow rum trade, buying large tracts of land, or use of slave labor. South Carolina used slave labor to successfully grow rice, tobacco, and cotton on large plantations. Farmers in Georgia wanted the same “success” that South Carolina farmers had. Many Georgians moved to places in the colony where they basically could live as they wished. By 1742, Georgians were allowed to buy and sell rum. Slavery was introduced in The colony named for King George II was changing.King George II

The War Against Spain The War of Jenkin’s Ear broke out between Great Britain and Spain in Oglethorpe organized an army of about 2,000 men with plans to capture Spanish forts in Florida. Spain responded and forced the Georgians, South Carolinians, and their Indian allies to retreat to St. Simon’s Island. The Battle of Bloody Marsh in 1742 caused the Spanish to flee Georgia, marking the end to Spanish threats. Georgia’s southern border was protected. The Battle of Bloody Marsh Oglethorpe left the Georgia colony for England in 1743 and never returned.

The Post-Oglethorpe Era Begins Three different men served as president of the Georgia colony from the time Oglethorpe left the colony until 1754: William Stephens, Henry Parker, and Patrick Graham. In 1752, one year before the initial 21-year charter was to expire, the trustees returned Georgia to the authority of King George II. In its first 20 years as a colony, Georgia’s population grew to 5,500 people, of which one-third were slaves. Protestants from Europe found safe haven in Georgia.slaves Treaties with Native Americans and victory over the Spanish settlers in Florida provided security to the Georgia colonists.

Early Georgia Colony Accomplishments The Bethesda Orphans Home was established in Ebenezer. The orphanage later became Bethesda House School, where many of Georgia’s early leaders were educated.Bethesda The Methodist Church was founded by John and Charles Wesley. The first Sunday School in America is established by the Wesley brothers. A successful court system was established and maintained. Women were able to inherit property. Click to return to the Table of Contents