Planning Period: Mastering Georgia's Colonial Era (SS8H2)

The Charter and the Three Reasons

You need to teach your students that the start of the Georgia colony was all thanks to a Charter, a grant from King George, giving the right to James Oglethorpe and the colonists to start this new venture.

The three main reasons outlined in the charter are:

1. Philanthropy: Oglethorpe's original, idealistic mission was to give worthy debtors a new start. He believed if they were given 50 acres, they could work off their debt instead of dying in debtor's prison, like one of his friends. However, make sure to teach that this didn't entirely come to fruition—most of the early settlers were wealthy landowners seeking more wealth.

2. Economics: You're going to teach the word mercantilism. By eighth grade, this shouldn't be new, but you'll have to activate some prior knowledge. The key crops expected to help the mercantilist system can be remembered with the acronym W.R.I.S.T.:

   • Wine (from grapes)

   • Rice (a major cash crop)

   • Indigo

   • Silk

   • Tobacco

3. Defense: Georgia was intended to be a buffer colony to protect the English settlers in South Carolina from the Spanish down in Florida.

The Three Major Players

This element is all about the individuals instrumental in the colony's founding:

• James Oglethorpe: He is considered the founder of Georgia and the first governor. He was a trustee whom the King entrusted with starting the colony. He also served as a "Commander in Chief," leading expeditions like the Battle of Bloody Marsh and the War of Jenkins' Ear against the Spanish.

• Tomochichi: He was the chief of the Yamacraw Native Americans at Yamacraw Bluff (which later became Savannah). It was entirely up to him whether the settlement would go well, and because he was welcoming and saw the benefit of partnering with the English, he had a positive relationship with Oglethorpe.

• Mary Musgrove: She was the crucial translator between the Native Americans and the British. Being part Native American and part British, she could speak both languages and assimilate into both cultures. She was also a very important businesswoman who, later on, sued the Royal Governors and was awarded a large sum of money and St. Catherine's Island.

Major Groups and the "Malcontents"

Teach students why these different groups were brought to Georgia and what they contributed:

• Jewish Settlers: They were initially forbidden due to anti-Semitic sentiments. However, the colonists were dying of fever, and a ship arrived with a Jewish doctor, Samuel Nunes, and a man skilled in growing grapes for wine (remember W.R.I.S.T.). The need for a doctor and their useful skills is why they were allowed to settle, starting the first Jewish congregation.

• Salzburgers: This was a peaceful Germanic Protestant group who were fleeing religious persecution. King George had a soft spot for them, and they were allowed in. They first settled in the swampy area of Ebenezer, but after finding the water bad, they moved to New Ebenezer.

• Highland Scots: Make sure students understand this means the mountainous region of Scotland. They were known warriors and soldiers, and their defense skills were necessary, tying back to the Charter’s defense element. They settled in the town of Darien at Fort King George. They, along with the Salzburgers, were anti-slavery.

• Malcontents: This is not a religious or geographic group—they were simply people not content with the colony's rules. Break down the word: "Mal" means "not" or "badly" (like malnourished). They were unhappy about restrictions on:

  • Drinking rum

  • Slavery

  • The cap on the amount of land they could possess

The Malcontents essentially overthrew the system and are the reason Georgia transitioned from a Trustee to a Royal Colony, getting everything they wanted.

Royal Colony Transition and Economic Growth

When the colony transitioned to a Royal Colony, the era of Oglethorpe and the trustees was over, and power was turned over to King George, who appointed Royal Governors.

The word to associate with this period is GROWTH. Everything grew:

• Land Ownership

• Population (which grew rapidly because slavery was allowed)

• Slavery: The enslaved population exploded, going from 500 slaves to 18,000 in the first five years of the royal period.

• Alcohol Consumption

For Goods and Services, services were provided by specified experts like blacksmiths and silversmiths.

The main Goods produced were the W.R.I.S.T. crops, specifically:

• Silk: Produced from worms attracted by mulberry trees, a popular material in Europe.

• Rice: A staple food crop, grown and harvested by enslaved people in the swampy coastal areas.

• Indigo: Used for a dye for clothing. Britain offered a bounty, or a premium, for it.

Other goods like Furs, Timber (especially big in the Okefenokee Swamp area), and Tobacco were also important.

I think we just summed up Elements A through E pretty succinctly. I am so glad you joined this planning period with me. I hope I see you on the next video, because we believe that every teacher needs teaching!

This blog post is a summary of the YouTube video "Planning Period SS8H2 ~ How to teach the Colonial Period of Georgia ~ Trustee & Royal Colony" by TeachThisTeacher.