In this unit, you will learn about Georgia’s past. You will study the explorers who came here and set up colonies. You will learn about the American Indians who lived in Georgia. You will read about the royal governors who ruled the state at one time.

 

KEY TERMS

 

Charter of 1732: Signed by King George II, it established the royal colony of Georgia and appointed a Board of Trustees to govern it. (SS8H2a)

 

Hernando de Soto: A Spanish explorer and conquistador who landed in what came to be known as Florida in 1539. He explored the Southeast, including Georgia, from 1539 to 1542. He and his 600 men searched for wealth, sparking conflict with American Indian groups, whom they exploited and enslaved. (SS8H1c)

 

European exploration: The Spanish and British sent explorers to the southeastern part of North America. The Spanish, believing the area to be rich in gold, searched for wealth. They also believed it was their mission to convert the natives to Christianity. The British wanted to colonize the area for a number of reasons. Some sought the riches offered by the area’s abundance of resources. Others hoped to escape religious persecution in Europe. (SS8H1b)

 

Highland Scots: A group of Scottish people who came to Georgia in the 1730s. Known for being good soldiers, they provided protection for the colony. They founded the city of Darien along the colony’s southern border. (SS8H2c)

 

Jews: People descended from the Hebrews of the Middle East whose traditional religion is Judaism. The trustees included a prohibition of Jews in Georgia in the original charter; however, a group of Portuguese Jews arrived in Georgia soon after the colony was established. In the group was a doctor, Samuel Nunes, who is often credited for “saving the colony.” Against the rules of the trustees, Oglethorpe allowed the Jewish immigrants to settle in Savannah. (SS8H2c)

 

Land ownership: Under the royal charter signed by King George II, colonists were not permitted to own land. This caused discontent, because of their hard work in developing and cultivating the region. (SS8H2d)

 

Malcontents: A group of mostly Scottish colonists who loudly opposed the policies of James Oglethorpe and Georgia’s Board of Trustees. (SS8H2c)

 

Mary Musgrove: An American Indian woman who was James Oglethorpe’s Creek interpreter and negotiator during Georgia’s earliest years. (SS8H2b)

 

James Oglethorpe: The British general and philanthropist who helped to found the colony of Georgia. Oglethorpe was one of the original trustees, and the only trustee to come to Georgia. (SS8H2b)

 

Philanthropy: The desire to help others (charity). Philanthropy, economics, and defense were the main reasons for Georgia’s founding. James Oglethorpe and the trustees hoped to create a colony for the poor and debt-ridden people of England. However, no debtor was ever released from debtors’ prison to come to Georgia. (SS8H2a)

 

Salzburgers: A group of German-speaking Protestant refugees who helped settle the colony of Georgia in the 1730s. (SS8H2c) Savannah: A Georgia city near the mouth of the Savannah River, founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe. Savannah was Georgia’s first city and first capital. (SS8H2b)

 

 Slavery: A condition in which people are considered legal property of someone and are forced to obey their owners. The Charter of 1732 banned slavery in the colony of Georgia, but many colonists growing laborintensive crops felt that they needed enslaved workers in order to become as economically stable and successful as the Carolinas. (SS8H2d)

 

Spanish missions: Places of worship set up by Spanish Catholic missionaries to convert native peoples to Christianity. In Georgia, many such places were established along the barrier islands. (SS8H1c)

 

Tomochichi: A Creek leader who acted as a mediator between British settlers in Georgia and the American Indians of the region. (SS8H2b)

 

Trustee Period: The period from 1732 to 1752 when a board of trustees governed the colony of Georgia. (SS8H2c)