Province of Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Province of Georgia
1732–1782
Flag
Map of the Province of Georgia, 1732–1782
Status	Colony (Kingdom of Great Britain)
Capital	Savannah
Common languages	English, Mikasuki, Cherokee, Muscogee, Shawnee, Yuchi
Religion	Church of England (Anglicanism)
Government	Proprietary colony (1732-1755) Crown colony (1755-1782)
King
• 1732–1760	George II
• 1760–1777	George III
Governor
• 1732–1743	James Oglethorpe (first)
• 1760–1782	James Wright (last)
Legislature	Commons House of Assembly (lower) General Assembly (upper)
Historical era	Colonial Era
• Established	1732
• Disestablished	1782
Currency	Georgia pound
Succeeded by State of Georgia
Today part of	United States Alabama Georgia Mississippi

The Province of Georgia, also known as the Georgia Colony, was one of the Thirteen Colonies in British America. It was the last of these colonies to be founded. In 1775, it was also the last to join the American Revolution.

The colony was named after King George II of Great Britain. He officially approved its creation on April 21, 1732. The idea for the colony came from General James Oglethorpe.

Oglethorpe wanted Georgia to be a safe place for poor people from England. He especially wanted to help those who had been imprisoned for debt. He also had strict rules, like banning alcohol. He was against slavery and preferred small farms over large plantations.

Another main reason for Georgia's founding was to protect the other British colonies. It was meant to be a "buffer state" against Spanish Florida to the south. Oglethorpe wanted strong farmers to live there and guard the border. Because of this, the colony's original rules did not allow slavery. However, the ban on slavery was removed by 1751. Georgia then became a royal colony in 1752, meaning it was directly controlled by the British king.

Founding the Georgia Colony

Many people think Georgia was founded for debtors. While Oglethorpe had this idea, the colony also aimed to be a place without slavery. Over time, it changed into a royal colony.

Here's how the first English settlers came to Georgia:

• A group was chosen to find poor prisoners who deserved a fresh start. They looked into their lives and backgrounds.
• Thirty-five families, totaling 120 people, were selected for the journey.
• On November 16, 1732, these settlers left England on a ship called the Anne.
• They arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, on January 13, 1733.
• From there, they sailed south to the Savannah River.

Map showing the settlement of Georgia Colony from 1732 to 1763

General Oglethorpe explored the river to find a good spot for the settlement. On February 12, 1733, he led the settlers to Yamacraw Bluff. This spot is now the city of Savannah.

A local Creek chief named Tomochichi helped them set up camp. There was a Yamacraw Indian village there, but Oglethorpe arranged for the Indians to move. This day is still celebrated as Georgia Day.

The original plan for the colony said it would be between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers. It would stretch west all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This area had been part of the Province of Carolina before.

Growing the Colony

An 18th-century view of the Savannah colony

The British government approved the colony's founding in June 1732. For the next 20 years, a group of trustees managed Georgia. They received money from the British Parliament each year.

However, the trustees faced many problems. After Oglethorpe left, they found it hard to manage the colony. So, in June 1752, they gave control back to the British king. By January 1755, Georgia officially became a royal colony. This meant the king ruled it directly.

From 1732 to 1758, Georgia was divided into small districts and towns. In 1758, the colony was divided into eight larger areas called parishes. This happened without permission from the Native American groups.

• The area around Savannah became Christ Church Parish.
• Other areas became St. Matthew, St. George, and St. Paul parishes.
• The area around Augusta was named the Parish of St. Paul.
• New parishes like St. Philip, St. John, St. Andrew, and St. James were also created.

After Britain won the French and Indian War, King George III made a new rule in 1763. This rule extended Georgia's southern border. It moved from the Altamaha River to the St. Marys River. In 1765, four new parishes were added in this new land. These were St. David, St. Patrick, St. Thomas, and St. Mary.

Georgia had a slow start. James Oglethorpe's strict rules caused problems. For example, colonists who came with the trustees' help could only own 50 acres of land. They also got a small town plot. Those who paid their own way could get 500 acres. But colonists could not buy or sell more land.

People became unhappy with these rules. Eventually, Oglethorpe lifted them. Once slavery, alcohol, and more land ownership were allowed, the colony grew much faster. Slavery was permitted from 1749. By the time of the Revolutionary War, Georgia was very similar to the other Southern colonies.

Revolutionary War and Beyond

During the American Revolution, people in Georgia had different ideas about what to do. When fighting started in Massachusetts in 1775, some brave Americans, called Patriots, took action. They raided the royal weapons storage in Savannah and took ammunition. They then took control of the government and forced many Loyalists (people loyal to Britain) to leave.

In 1776, a special meeting declared Georgia's independence. They also created a new plan for the state's government. Georgia was also a base for attacks into British-controlled Florida.

In 1777, Georgia created its first eight counties. Before this, it had been divided into parishes. Most settlements were near the Savannah River. The western part of the new state was still controlled by the Creek Indian Confederation.

James Wright, the last British governor of Georgia, closed the royal assembly in 1775. He was briefly captured by the revolutionaries but escaped in February 1776. During the war, Wright was the only royal governor to get back control of part of his colony. This happened after British forces captured Savannah in December 1778.

British and Loyalist forces took back large parts of Georgia, especially along the coast. But Patriots still had their own governor, congress, and army in other areas. In 1779, the British successfully defended Savannah from an attack by American and French forces. However, in 1781, American forces took back Augusta.

When Britain lost the war, Governor Wright and British forces left Savannah on July 11, 1782. After this, the Province of Georgia was no longer a British colony.

The new state of Georgia played an important role in the new United States. It was a member of the Second Continental Congress. It also signed the Declaration of Independence. Georgia was the tenth state to approve the Articles of Confederation in 1778. And it was the fourth state to join the Union under the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

In 1802, Georgia gave up its claims to western lands to the U.S. Congress. These lands had been part of its original colonial claims. These areas later became parts of the states of Alabama and Mississippi.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Georgia para niños