England Comes to North America Problems in England

England Comes to North America

Problems in England had some factors that made having a colony in America a good idea: • Economics • Charity • Religious Issues • military

Economic Gain § § § England was too small to have enough natural resources Mercantilism = sell more than you buy § Trade policy to make a nation selfsufficient and wealthy § Colonists were to provide raw materials to Great Britain who then turned the raw materials into manufactured goods to sell James Town § 1607 England’s 1 st permanent settlement in the New World § Was started by a company who promised the king it would make a profit

Charity Poverty problems in England n n Need homes for the poor, unemployed, and homeless Problem with begging and criminals because of poverty

Religious freedom n Puritans • Wanted to change the Church of England because they disagreed with it n Separatists • Wanted to break away from the Church of England start a new church. • Pilgrims • Group of separatists who sailed on the Mayflower (1617) • started the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Military n The twelve English colonies were protected from the French by the Appalachian Mountains, but the Spanish threatened from the south.

So how did the Georgia colony start? Charity, Economics, and Defense

BACKGROUND n Sir Robert Montgomery (1717) • “Margravate of Azilia” (an IDEA) • Most delightful country of the universe n John Barnwell (1721) • Built Fort King George (a real place) • Abandoned because of climate, sickness, and insects n Jean Pierre Purry • Came up with the names “Georgine” and “Georgia” (in honor of King George II)

Buffer (defense) n Charles Town • 1 st settlement in Carolina • Named for King Charles II n England wanted a colony to protect the Carolinas from • • the Spanish in Florida the French in the Mississippi River valley Indians everywhere Losing their runaway slaves

Economics n Oglethorpe promised Great Britain raw materials such as silk, cotton dyes, wine, spices, and semitropical fruit.

CHARITY – James Oglethorpe n n n A well-educated and wealthy member of Parliament His lawyer friend Robert Castell had been jailed because of debt, contracted small pox and died. Oglethorpe worked to get laws passed to improve prison conditions and to let many debtors go free.

Problems • Simply letting the poor out of prison did not help them. • no jobs • could not pay debts (because of no job) • many were homeless and turned to begging or even criminal acts

Solution • Dr. Thomas Bray • Clergyman • proposed a colony to help the poor • He died before his ideas could be acted on.

James Oglethorpe has a plan. He along with John Percival and 19 others requested land SW of South Carolina for poor but worthy people. n In 1732 King George II signed a charter (document granting rights and privileges) for the colony of Georgia. n

Colonial Georgia

Charter of 1732

Charter of 1732 n n 6000 words Trustees responsibilities • Could not own land • Could not hold political office • Could not get paid • Must only pass laws approved by the King Used regulations instead of laws n No governor in Georgia n

Who was excluded? n Slaves • Trustees thought slavery was immoral and would make colonists lazy. n Lawyers • Colonists were expected to handle disputes or turn them over to the trustees.

Who was excluded? n n Catholics • Florida was Catholic and the Spanish were a threat. • Spain offered freedom to all slaves who could escape to FL and convert to Catholicism. Alcohol distributors • They were not part of a model society • Rum and hard liquor were illegal They wanted people to work hard, not drink.

Who was excluded? n Debtors • Trustees were afraid that they were not hard workers. n Criminals • Trustees did not want any problems – especially crime

They wanted a Model Society The goal of the trustees was to create a “model” society. n Strict rules on land work n Carefully selected colonists n Trustees raised the money

Colonist Benefits Colonist Responsibilities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Defend colony against enemies Clear land Raise crops/mulberry trees Build houses/public structures Follow trustees’ rules 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Free passage on ship – Ann Land (could not be sold) Weapons Seeds and tools for building and farming Food until 1 st harvest

Restrictions No slavery 2. No rum or hard liquor 3. Limits on land ownership – to prevent a rich upper class Charity – town lot plus 50 acres (45 in country, 5 at edge of town Paid – same as charity plus 50 acres for every servant brought (up to 500 acres) 1.