Oglethorpe, James Edward
December 22, 1696
London, England
July 1, 1785
Essex, England
British general and philanthropist, founder of
Georgia colony
"One, driven by strong benevolence of soul,/Shall fly like Oglethorpe from pole to pole."
From Imitation of Horace by English poet Alexander Pope.
James Oglethorpe was an English general and member of Parliament (the British legislative body) who obtained a grant to start a colony for debtors (those who cannot pay their bills). He named this North American colony Georgia. The British Crown (monarchy or royal family) had political reasons for approving the Georgia venture: the colony would serve as a buffer between English-held South Carolina and Florida, which was occupied by Spain, an enemy of Britain. In 1733 Oglethorpe founded the city of Savannah, then set about acquiring land from the friendly Yamacraw tribe and fortifying the town against the Spanish. His tenure as governor in Georgia proved to be controversial. Within two years he had imposed regulations banning rum and slavery in the colony, a move that caused intense opposition from settlers. After England declared war on Spain in 1739, Oglethorpe led a failed expedition against the Spanish town of St. Augustine. Although his successful defense of the colony in 1742 assured its survival, Oglethorpe had financial difficulties and the settlers became restless.
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