33a - defend the importance of James Oglethorpe, Charter of 1732, reasons for settlement (charity, economics, anddefense), Tomochichi, Mary Musgrove, and the city of Savannah
james oglethorpe
James Oglethorpe, a member of British Parliament, was interested in creating an entirely new colony to clean out England's dirty, overstuffed prisons. These prisons were more often than not filled up with people who could not pay debts. The number of people who were in these prisons only grew due to the bad economy of England at that time. It was so prevalent at that time that even one of Oglethorpe's friends, a well-known architect and engineer, Robert Castell, was in one of the debtor's prisons. It was here were he died. Along with 20 other people who supported this new idea, Oglethorpe had created the Trustees of Georgia.
tomochichi
Tomochichi was the chief of the Yamacraw Indians who had settled the area and bluff that the new colonists were planning to settle in 1732. Tomochichi, however, was extremely generous and gave the area to the colonists! The bluff was to be named the Yamacraw Bluff after the kind Native Americans. Tomochichi and Oglethorpe became great friends. In fact, Tomochichi and his tribe converted religions from the Native American religion to Christianity and changed their official language to English. they became great trading partners as well. However, this friendship would not be without the help of Mary Musgrove, who interpreted for Oglethorpe.
savannah
The bluff and the area around it that Tomchichi had given to the colonists following the meeting with Oglehthorpe and Mary Musgrove became a small town where the colonists would live. Savannah became the capital of the new colony. Savannah was actually the first planned city in the colonies, and it was designed by no other than Oglethorpe's (deceased) friend Robert Castell.
He and his twenty Trustees received a charter from King George II in 1732, who he named the colony after, and it was called the Charter of 1732. This charter allowed the 21 Trustees to hold the colony as a proprietary colony. These Trustees were to apply for laws regarding governing the colony, but otherwise there should be little to do with the king. This proved to change later on.
reasons for settlement
Oglethorpe and the king agreed on three main points of interest in the Charter: charity, economy, and defense. Giving these debtors a second was Oglethorpe's charity, but for economy it was an experiment. Oglethorpe knew of South Carolina's success in growing large crops, and he hoped that it would be the same in Georgia. The King was also looking forwards to what goods he could receive in order to better support mercantilism. The King also hoped that Georgia could be used a buffer colony to defend Georgia and the rest of the colonies from La Florida. Oglethorpe led the voyage to Georgia on the ship The Ann, filled with, unlike what was proposed, artisans and craftsmen in 1731. No debtors were actually released from prison.
mary musgrove
Creating relations between the colonists and the Native Americans was of great difficulty until Mary Musgrove came along. Mary Musgrove was of mixed Native and English ancestry, and could translate for Oglethorpe. So, on his meeting with Tomochichi, chief of the Yamacraw, Mary Musgrove interpreted for him.