James Oglethorpe Lands with British Colonists in America
James Oglethorpe was a notable figure in early American history, known for his mission to establish the colony of Georgia. Arriving in America on January 13, 1733, Oglethorpe aimed to create a settlement for debtors seeking a fresh start, influenced by his experiences with the dire conditions of England's penal system. He was a member of Parliament who became increasingly involved in prison reform after witnessing the suffering of a friend in debtors' prison. His vision for Georgia was not only to provide a refuge for the impoverished but also to serve as a strategic buffer between British colonies and Spanish Florida.
Oglethorpe led around 35 families to settle in Savannah, where he established amicable relations with the Creek people, securing land and trade agreements. However, the colony faced challenges that hindered its success, including restrictions on land ownership and unsuitable agricultural practices. Despite these obstacles, Georgia grew in population due to an influx of various immigrant groups, including Germans and Scottish Highlanders. Ultimately, the trusteeship failed to meet its philanthropic goals, and in 1752, control of the colony was returned to the British Crown. Oglethorpe returned to England in 1743 and spent the remainder of his life there, passing away in 1785.
James Oglethorpe Lands with British Colonists in America
James Oglethorpe Lands with British Colonists in America
James Oglethorpe landed in America on January 13, 1733, imbued with the altruistic desire to establish a colony in which the downtrodden and oppressed debtors of England might prosper and become useful and productive citizens. Born on December 22, 1696, in London, England, the future philanthropist was educated at Eton and attended Corpus Christi College at Oxford University before abandoning his formal education in 1715 to seek adventure on the European continent. Oglethorpe spent some time in Paris during 1716, serving as aide-decamp to Prince Eugene of Savoy during his campaign against the Turks in 1717.
Continuing a tradition of parliamentary service established by his father and two older brothers, Oglethorpe won election to the House of Commons in 1722 and served as a member of Parliament for 32 years. During that time he became increasingly involved with the problem of penal reform, a need for which he first became aware when a friend was placed in debtors' prison and died there of smallpox amid appalling conditions.
Service as chairman of a parliamentary committee investigating prison conditions in England further convinced Oglethorpe of the deplorable state of that nation's penal system, particularly the large number of persons who were jailed because of their inability to pay small debts. Oglethorpe realized, however, that it was not enough to merely set these debtors free. He believed that the impoverished needed an opportunity to begin a new life. Thus, he conceived of the bold plan to establish a new colony in America as a haven for debtors.
Oglethorpe's desire to establish a new settlement in America gave the government a chance to create a colony that would act as a buffer between their colony of South Carolina and Spanish-controlled Florida. A parliamentary charter in June 1732 thus named Oglethorpe and 19 other associates as “Trustees for establishing the colony of Georgia in America.” According to the provisions of this document, the trustees were given control of all the area between the Savannah and the Altamaha rivers, extending westward from the sources of these rivers to the South Pacific. They were to hold the colony as a trust for 21 years to secure its future and then at the end of that period return control of Georgia to the Crown.
By November 1732 the first settlers were able to embark on their social and philanthropic endeavor. Oglethorpe himself led the first band of about 35 families across the Atlantic. Landing at Charleston, South Carolina, on January 13, 1733, the Georgia colonists then proceeded southward and on February 12 arrived at the site of Savannah.
Under Oglethorpe's leadership the Georgia colonists maintained friendly relations with the natives. Even before the building of Savannah was completed, Oglethorpe sought out the leaders of the Creek people who inhabited the region. The Englishman and the chiefs came together in Savannah in May 1733 and at this meeting made an agreement by which the Creeks sold a portion of their lands to the newcomers and promised to cease dealing with the Spanish. In return, Oglethorpe entered into certain joint trade agreements with the Creeks.
Oglethorpe administered the colony for most of its first two years. During that time the population of Georgia grew rapidly due to a combined influx of English debtors and non-English dissidents. Among them were Lutherans from Austria and Moravians from Germany, as well as a group of Scottish Highlanders.
Georgia served successfully as a buffer between Britain's southern colonies and Spanish Florida, but the colony never fulfilled its trustees' dream of becoming a place in which disadvantaged persons might enjoy useful and productive lives. Much of this failure was caused by the trustees. They limited the amount of land each settler might hold to 50 acres and overlooked the fact that such an area of the Georgia pine barrens was inadequate to support a family. They encouraged the production of such items as silk, failing to comprehend that these were unsuited to the Georgia climate. During the 1740s the trustees were forced to make several important modifications in their original plans, but as a trusteeship Georgia never prospered. In 1752, one year before their charter expired, the trustees returned control of the colony to Great Britain.
In 1743, as the failure of Georgia under the trusteeship was becoming increasingly apparent, Oglethorpe returned to England. Shortly after his return he faced a court-martial, but the charges against him were found to be unsubstantiated. He never returned to Georgia, lived the rest of his life in England, and died at the age of 88 on June 30, 1785.