Georgia Studies Notes

Georgia began as a Trustee Colony with its original charter in 1732.

The Trustee Period lasted from 1733 to 1752.

Plans for City of

Savannah

James Oglethorpe

21 trustees

King (George II) is

ultimate authority

James Oglethorpe

King had ultimate authority

Trustees made regulations which had to be obeyed by colonists

King George II

All lands between

the Altamaha and

Savannah Rivers

west to the Pacific

Ocean

Boundaries in original charter

Original colonists were given 50 acres of land

Colonists who could afford to pay their way

to Georgia were given 500 acres

Mulberry Tree

Slavery was not

allowed by the

Charter of 1732

Charter of 1732

The original settlers were all Protestants

Within a short period of time, Georgia also had Jewish settlers

Christ Church in Savannah

John Wesley

Aside from original settlers who came on The Anne, many new settlers arrived during the Trustee Period:

Salzburgers

Moravians

Highland Scots

Malcontents

Originated in Salzburg, Germany

Came to Georgia because they were expelled from Catholic Germany for being Protestant

Settled in Ebenezer

Relocated to New Ebenezer because of issue with the original land

Opposed to slavery

New Ebenezer

Came to Georgia from Scotland

Settled in Darien, Georgia

Rebuilt Fort King George

Opposed to slavery

Fort King George

Mainly composed of Scottish settlers near Savannah

Arrived in Georgia by paying their own way, so they did not feel the same loyalty to James Oglethorpe

Objected to three trustee rules: Limits on land ownership Law against slavery Law against rum

Felt these laws limited their ability to earn money Cover of official

protest

In 1739, war broke out between England and Spain

This gave Oglethorpe a good reason to invade Florida which was controlled by Spain

2000 men (mainly Native Americans and settlers from GA & SC) fought to take over Spanish forts in Florida

War of Jenkin’s Ear

Not much progress was made until July 1742 in the Battle of Bloody Marsh

In this battle, Highland Scots assisted Oglethorpe’s forces. This surprise attack caught the Spanish forces off guard and was the beginning of a safe southern frontier for the British.

Battle of Bloody Marsh

The Spanish eventually left the area for good after a

note was sent to a British deserter warning of an

impending attack by arriving ships. The arriving

ships were actually trading ships, but the Spanish

thought they would be outnumbered and gave up.

Georgia’s Royal Colony Period lasted from 1752 - 1783

John Reynolds – (1754-1757) first Royal Governor

(ineffective)

Henry Ellis – (1757-1760) second Royal Governor

(established foundation for government)

James Wright – (1760-1782) third Royal Governor

(efficient and popular)

King appointed Governor &

Council

There was a bi-cameral legislature

set up to represent the original

parishes in GA

Parish is a church and

government

Parishes

After the French & Indian

War, (1763) the southern

boundary was set to the St.

Mary’s River & the western

boundary was set at the

Mississippi River

Determined right to vote

To vote, settlers had to own 50 acres

Determined right to hold office

To be in office, settlers had to own 500 acres

January 1, 1751 – Slavery was allowed because the colonists were frustrated by the success of their neighbors to the north who were becoming prosperous under slavery

Slave ship

Once slavery was allowed, Puritans from South Carolina arrived in Georgia in 1752 and settled in Midway, just southwest of Savannah.

Colonial officials granted the Puritans large land grants because the large population would serve as a defensive buffer against the Creek Indians.

New settlers arrived from South

Carolina and the West Indies (who

also brought slaves)

New settlers arrived after boundaries

were expanded after the French &

Indian War (1763)

Some were considered undesirable

(Crackers)

Georgia “crackers”