87.  Founding of Georgia, 1732.—­In those days it was the custom in England to send persons who could not pay their debts to prison.  Of course many of these poor debtors were really industrious persons whom misfortune or sickness had driven into debt.  General Oglethorpe, a member of Parliament, looked into the prison management.  He was greatly affected by the sad fate of these poor debtors, and determined to do something for them.  With a number of charitable persons he obtained a part of South Carolina for a colony, and named it Georgia for George II, who gave the land.  Parliament also gave money.  For the government thought it very desirable to have a colony between the rich plantations of Carolina and the Spanish settlements in Florida.

[Sidenote:  Settlement of Georgia, 1733. Higginson, 127-130; Eggleston, 62-65; Source-Book, 71-73.]

[Sidenote:  Progress of the colony.]

88.  Georgia, 1733-52.—­Naturally Oglethorpe had no difficulty in getting colonists.  For the poor debtors and other oppressed persons were very glad to have a new start in life.  Savannah was founded in 1733.  The Spaniards, however, were not at all glad to have an English colony planted so near Florida.  They attacked the Georgians, and Oglethorpe spent years in fighting them.  The Georgia colonists found it very difficult to compete with the Carolina planters.  For the Carolinians had slaves to work for them, and the proprietors of Georgia would not let the Georgians own slaves.  Finally they gave way and permitted the colonists to own slaves.  But this so disheartened the Georgia proprietors that they gave up the enterprise and handed the colony over to the king.  In this way Georgia became a royal province.

CHAPTER 10

EXPULSION OF THE FRENCH

[Sidenote:  Louis of France and William of Orange.]

89.  Causes of the French Wars.—­At the time of the “Glorious Revolution” (p. 58) James II found refuge with Louis XIV, King of France.  William and Louis had already been fighting, and it was easy enough to see that if William became King of England he would be very much more powerful than he was when he was only Prince of Orange.  So Louis took up the cause of James and made war on the English and the Dutch.  The conflict soon spread across the Atlantic.

[Sidenote:  Disadvantages of the English colonists.]

[Sidenote:  Advantages of the French colonists.]

90.  Strength of the Combatants.—­At first sight it might seem as if the English colonists were much stronger than the French colonists.  They greatly outnumbered the French.  They were much more prosperous and well-to-do.  But their settlements were scattered over a great extent of seacoast from the Kennebec to the Savannah.  Their governments were more or less free.  But this very freedom weakened them for war.  The French colonial government was a despotism directed from France.  Whatever resources the French had in America were certain to be well used.