1. Colonial Period of Georgia

2. Where are we now? • In the 1600’s England established permanent settlements in the New World. • The first colony was in Jamestown, Virginia. • By the end of the 1600’s England has established 12 colonies along the Atlantic coastline. • Spain had been defeated. • England is king of the seas and pursuing interest in the “New World”. • England thought there was gold, silver and exotic foods in the New World.

3. Why did Englanders come? • They thought that with hard work they could have a better life. • England: hoped to establish Mercantilism. • Meaning that the colonies export more than they import. • Some were coming to the New World for religious freedom. • Economic gain. • Adventure and a new place to start over.

4. Why come to new world? • They persevered, discovered tobacco grew well in the area, and this crop created a need for laborers. • Indentured servants and slaves came into play. • The Spanish was to the south, they had a permanent settlement in St. Augustine, Florida and England to the north, who believed the Spanish was a threat. • “We need a buffer” and just the land for it was Georgia. • 1721, Fort King George was established in Georgia at the Altamaha River to keep the Spanish from invading. • There were so many Indian raids on the fort , sickness and swampy conditions, it was abandoned in 1727.

5. Permanent Settlements • Discovery of tobacco. • Profitable export. • Created peace for a while between Natives and settlers. • John Rolfe married Pocahontas • Tobacco crops created a need for laborers. • Dutch traders bring Africans as indentured servents. • *1607, England set up permanent settlement. • Jamestown • Named for King James I • 100 settlers went to New World. • Settlers had many problems. • Jamestown in swampy area. • Many died the first year.

6. Indentured servants • *End of service they were free. • *Servants became slaves. • *Huge crops of tobacco meant • a need for labor. • Dutch traders brought Africans to Jamestown. • Most were indentures servants. • 4-6 years for passage to the New World.

7. English and Spanish conflict • Conflict kept rising up between the English settlers and the Spanish. • England felt as though they needed a buffer state between Jamestown and Florida. • 1686, the Spanish retreated to St. Augustine. • Georgia became the buffer.

8. Fort King George • France and Spain were a threat to Jamestown. • Spain was south in Florida and France was to the west in modern day Alabama and along the gulf coast. • Colonel John Barnwell travels to England to ask if a fort could be built at the mouth of the Altamaha River. • King George approves. • Fort King George was up and running by 1721. • Abandoned due to swampy conditions , illness and attacks from the Indians.

9. New World Old world Trading • Gains for both due to exploration. • New and Old trades animals, plants and food. • New World exported to Europe. • Europe exported food to the New World. • Europeans brought animals. • New animals destroyed native ground causing native animals to become extinct.

10. James Oglethorpe: overview • Oglethorpe got a law passed to let prisoners free, but this only got them out of jail. • The freed prisoners could not find work, and without work, their bills remained unpaid. • Dr. Bray, Oglethorpe’s friend suggested that a colony should be founded in the New World for the “unfortunate but worthy individuals” • 1722, became a member of Parliament’s House of Commons. • England put people in jail who could not pay their bills. • Jails were getting over crowed. • Oglethorpe’s friend was in debtors jail and he died of smallpox. This made James want to reform the system.

11. Oglethorpe Continued: • The other reason was to create a defense to protect the British Colonies from the French to the west, Spanish to the South and Native Americans which were kind of all over. • The new settlement could defend the southern Carolinas from Spanish Florida. • Oglethorpe proposed economic reasons for a settlement. Spain and France traded and made money front the Indians and Britain could get in on that action. • In 1730 Oglethorpe asked King George II for a piece of land southwest of Carolina to settle the poor people of London. • The Kind thought about it…and said, "Okay”. • The King knew there two main reasons for colonies. One was a balanced trading policy that would make Great Britain self-sufficient and less dependent on other countries.

12. More reasons to colonize Georgia • Georgia would offer religious freedom from the Catholic church for those protestants being mistreated by the Catholic Church in Europe. • Most of all: the King liked the Idea of having more land and more power for Great Britain. • The new colony could produce silk, cotton dyes and wine. Great Britain was importing these items from Russia, Spain and France. • This made the British merchants happy, they would have a new market for raw goods such as spices and semi-tropical fruit.

13. Charter of 1732 • The Georgia charter was granted “all those lands, Countries, and Territories” between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers extending west to the “South Seas” Meaning all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Maybe they didn’t realize how far away that was. • June 7, 1732, King George II granted the charter to Oglethorpe and his group of trustees. They were given 21 years to manage it. • What is a charter? A grant of special rights and privileges. • What is a trustee? A person who is responsible for others.

14. Rules of the charter • The Trustees were not allowed to own land, hold political office, or get money for the work they did. • Catholics, blacks, dealers of liquor and lawyers were not allowed to become colonists. • Catholics were not allowed because of division between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. • Blacks were not allowed so slavery would not come to Georgia. • The trustees didn’t think the settlers would work if they had liquor. • The trustees wanted arguments settled out of court with no lawyers involved. • The colony belonged to the “Crown” in other words King George II and the trustees had to get all of their instructions from King George II. • No laws could be passed without the approval of the King so, the trustees made regulations and government orders instead of laws.

15. Reasons for the Settlement