Why did they form Georgia: Information and Facts with the Georgia Colony Fact File
Georgia was the last to be established of the English colonies in North America. Its formation was due to a desire of the British government to protect South Carolina from invasion by the Spaniards from Florida and by the French from Louisiana, as well as to the desire of James Oglethorpe to found a refuge for the persecuted Protestant sects and the unfortunate but worthy impoverished classes of Europe.

Facts about the Georgia Colony

Fact 1 | History | Year Founded: 1732 by James Oglethorpe and others

Fact 2 | Cities | Major Towns / Cities: Savannah

Fact 3 | Industries | Major Industries: Agriculture (indigo, rice, sugar)

Fact 4 | Climate | Climate: The Southern colonies were the warmest of the three regions, winters not difficult to survive, but the hot and humid summers gave rise to the spread of disease. The warm climate made it possible to grow crops throughout the year and was ideally suited for plantations
 
The warm climate made it possible to grow crops throughout the year and was ideally suited for plantations
 
Fact 6 | Geography | Geography: Hilly coastal plains with plenty of forests

Fact 7 | Religion | Religion: Not dominated by a specific religion which gave way to religious freedom for Baptists, Anglicans and others. Refer to Religion in the Colonies

Fact 8 | Raw Materials | Natural Resources: Fish, forests (timber) and good agricultural land. Farming and Plantations were  important. Exported agricultural products to other colonies

Fact 9 | Economy | Economics and Trade: Concentrated on agriculture and developed the plantations exporting tobacco, cotton, corn, vegetables, grain, fruit and livestock
 
Fact 10 | Government | Government: By 1775 Georgia was governed as a Royal Colony.

Fact 11 | History
Original Name: The original name of the colony was the Province of Georgia, later Georgia
 
William Stephens was named president of the entire colony of Georgia as James Oglethorpe was primarily focused on the defense of the colony during the war with Spain
 
The last American colony was Georgia, founded 50 years after the other twelve.

The colony provide a refuge for persecuted protestants and a military presence between the other colonies and Spanish Florida
 
Fact 12 | Economy
The Southern Colonies had the largest slave population who worked on the plantations.Plantations grew cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, indigo (a purple dye), and other crops
 
Some of the plantations were massive and consisted of the main house, slave quarters, a dairy, blacksmith's shop, laundry, smokehouse and barns which made the plantations to large degree, self-sufficient

Crops were traded for items that could not be produced on the plantations including shoes, lace, thread, farm tools and dishes
 
Fact 13 | History | Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe who founded it as a haven for debtors

Fact 14 | Trade / Exports | Trade in the Southern colonies included Tobacco, cotton, rice, indigo (dye), lumber, furs, farm products - refer to Colonial Times

Fact 15 | Culture and Family

Education for Children

Children in the Georgia Colony were educated, though their schooling was much different than of children today. New England colonies and middle colonies practiced education a bit differently, as New England colonies put a rather big emphasis on religious education and reading the Bible more than the southern colonies.

Boys who went to school while young girls stayed home. There was also a class system, and children from upper-class families would usually have home tutors, while children from middle-class families would go to grammar school and sometimes attend college. Children from lower-class families would sometimes go to grammar school or have an apprenticeship.

At grammar schools, boys would learn how to read, write and construct Latin sentences. They would also learn how to translate English to Latin and vice versa. They spent many hours at school, usually attending 6 days a week. Eventually, if they could, they would go on to college, where they could study everything from theology and law to the arts and astronomy. Many of the colleges in the U.S. today were founded during the Colonial era, such as William & Mary, Penn, Columbia, Harvard and Dartmouth.

Children in the Georgia Colony had to learn useful home and life skills in addition to formal skills that they learned in grammar school. First and foremost, they were taught to respect their mother and father. A lot of these teachings came from the Bible, and children would have to ask their parents for their blessings. Girls would have to be obedient toward the males in their family. Boys were usually the ones to go on to receive an education, and girls would only do the same if they came from upper-class families, could have a home tutor, and their parents would allow it.

Girls had several responsibilities at home, and they would learn these home skills from a young age. In the Georgia Colony, girls would learn how to knit, sew, cook and spin. Boys would learn things like how to use a gun or how to work navigator's tools. It was clear that in the Georgia Colony and other colonies, boys and girls had very distinct roles that were crucial to maintaining the family dynamics set out by the Bible.

Though children certainly had a lot of responsibilities in the Georgia Colony, there was still some time for play. Children were not able to simply go to a toy store and buy the toys that they wanted, so parents found ways to make toys for their children, or children would make the toys for themselves. Girls would usually play with dolls, which were made from corn husks and scraps. Boys would get sticks and pretend they were horses that they could ride on. Both boys and girls would play with spinning tops or do jump rope, scotch hopper (hop-scotch) or pins, which was similar to bowling. They also had board games and battledore, which is similar to badminton.

Overall, kids in the Georgia Colony were very creative and imaginative, and even though they didn't have as many toys as kids have today, they were able to enjoy themselves even by playing outside, just running around or jumping in the water to swim.

Modern-Day connections

The Colony became a state on January 2, 1788. For additional facts and info refer to the Change from Colonies to States

Current Population

Our 2018 estimate puts Georgia's population at 10.55 million. This value is based on the most recent Census estimates. The last confirmed population for Georgia was recorded during the last nationwide census, which took place in 2010. When the survey was completed, the results revealed that 9,687,653 people were living within the state.

The recorded population in 2010 of 9,687,653 represented a rise of 18.3% on the numbers in 2000, which reached 8,186,453. An estimate released in July 2015 suggested that the population of Georgia had risen to 10,214,860.

At the current estimate of 10.55 million, Georgia is the 8th most populated state, recently passing Michigan.

Georgia Population History

Georgia was one of the 13 original States, obtaining statehood in 1788). At the close of the Revolution it included most of present-day Alabama and Mississippi, an area which finally became Mississippi Territory in 1802. In that year Georgia reached essentially its present boundaries, although survey uncertainties resulted in continuing disputes with bordering States over subsequent decades.

Interesting facts