Question

James Oglethorpe arriving in Georgia and founding Savannah

What happened? Summarize the event!

Answer 1

James Oglethorpe arrived in Georgia in 1733 and founded the city of Savannah. As a member of Parliament, Oglethorpe had a vision to establish a new colony where debtors and the poor could have a fresh start and escape poverty in England. He secured a charter from King George II and led a group of settlers to the new colony. They arrived on the banks of the Savannah River and established the town of Savannah, naming it after the river. Oglethorpe carefully planned the city, laying it out in a grid pattern with public squares and parks. The settlers built homes, cultivated farmland, and established a system of government. Oglethorpe also maintained peaceful relationships with the local Native American tribes and successfully defended the colony against Spanish attacks. The founding of Savannah marked the beginning of the colony of Georgia and Oglethorpe's humanitarian vision of a better life for those in debt or poverty.