Adventures in Colonial America: Volume IV

Georgia: From Debtor's Haven to Revolutionary Battleground

By: Mary A. Baewer

Narrated by: Deren Hansen

Georgia: From Debtor's Haven to Revolutionary Battleground is the 4th installment in the Adventures in Colonial America series, focusing on the Georgia colony. James Oglethorpe and the "Georgia Trustees" founded the Georgia colony as a haven for Britain's poor and unskilled, where they could live, learn a skill, and become productive members of society. However, the best of intentions often do not come to fruition, and the Georgia colony was no exception. Rather than a debtor's haven, Georgia became a military stronghold, involved in border wars, wars with Native Indians, other colonies, and France and Spain. Attempts by Oglethorpe and the Georgia Trustees to keep Georgia free from slavery were unsuccessful because of pressure from the middle class and British commercial interests. King George's War and the War of Jenkins' Ear provided Georgia's militia with military experience that would prove invaluable in later decades.

During the American Revolution, two major sieges occurred, at Augusta and Savannah but the Continental Army and militia were able to push the British from Georgia ultimately resulting in the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. The men who put aside their social and political differences to resolve a hard-fought argument about independence, write a state constitution, and ratify the U.S. Constitution, will also be recognized. Finally, returning to the debtor's situation, the special topic will discuss the plight of the debtor in the 18th Century. Shays' Rebellion - the dangerous confrontation between western Massachusetts and the government that turned violent - will also be discussed because of the threat it posed to the young nation.

©2014 Mary A. Baewer (P)2014 Mary A. Baewer