Mary Margaret Quiggle presented a historic program on Colonial Georgia to the John Lee of Nansemond Chapter, National Society Colonial Dames 17th Century. The time frame she covered was from 1733 to 1743. 

James Edward Oglethorpe, an Englishman, had a vision to settle a colony in the “new world” to serve as a buffer colony between the English in the Carolinas and the Spanish in Florida and to produce silk for the English people. Oglethorpe persuaded King George to assist him in the new settlement of Georgia (naming it for the king did not hurt Oglethorpe’s chances). Contrary to popular belief, Georgia was not a penal or pauper colony. Oglethorpe required that the prospective settlers make application and should be sober, moral and industrious; they should be trades people, farmers, herdsmen, carpenters and brick masons.

From all the applications, Oglethorpe selected 35 families (135 people). On November 17, 1732, the families set sail from Gravesend, England (burial place of Pocahontas) on the ship Anne and crossed the Atlantic, arriving in Charlestown in the Carolinas more than two months later on January 13, 1733. The colonists were granted tools, 50 acres of land and were required to plant 100 mulberry trees per family.

Dr. MaryFriend Carter brought and demonstrated toys and games that the children would have played with on their long, two-plus months voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. It was very surprising how many games are still familiar to us today: jack stones, pick up sticks, string games, whirligigs, tops, Scotch-hoppes (Hop Scotch), blowing soap bubbles and riding sticks for imaginary horses. The dolls were made of corn husks, rags and scraps. The heads were made of carved wood and sometimes dried apples.

Oglethorpe left Charlestown and sailed south looking for a suitable location for his new colony. He was in search of fresh water, fish in rivers and streams, animals in the woods for hunting and good timber such as oak, pine and magnolias for fortifications and dwellings. On February 12, 1733, Oglethorpe had found the perfect place for his charges and brought them to Yamacraw Bluff. This day is still celebrated as Georgia Day.

Col. William Bull and James Oglethorpe made plans for the first town to be laid out in one large square and named the town Savannah. The colonists had ample room to make their forts and settlements since the original boundaries of Georgia included all of the land between the Savannah River and the Ocmulgee/Altamaha Rivers west to the Pacific Ocean.

Oglethorpe spent 10 years nurturing the colony of Georgia. He helped the colonists make friends with the Indians and helped with plans for forts all along the eastern shore of Georgia. In 1743, he believed his people were out of the danger of more wars with the Spaniards and he sailed back to England, never to return to Georgia.