GEORGIA, one of the United States of America, lying between South Carolina and Florida. It extends 120 miles upon the sea-coast, and 300 miles from thence to the Apalachian mountains, and its boundaries to the north and south are the rivers Savannah and Alataamaha. The whole coast is bordered with islands; the principal of which are Skidaway, Wassaw, Ossabaw, St Catherine's, Sapelo, Frederica, Jekyll, Cumberland, and Amelia.
The settlement of a colony between the rivers Savannah and Alataamaha was meditated in England in 1732, for the accommodation of poor people in Great Britain and Ireland, and for the further security of Carolina. Private compassion and public spirit conspired to promote the benevolent design. Humane and opulent men suggested a plan of transporting a number of indigent families to this part of America free of expence. For this purpose they applied to the king, George II. and obtained from him letters patent, bearing date June 9. 1732, for legally carrying into execution what they had generously projected. They called the new province Georgia, in honour of the king, who encouraged the plan. A corporation, consisting of 21 persons, was constituted by the name of, The Trustees for settling and establishing the colony of Georgia.
In November 1732, 116 settlers embarked for Georgia to be conveyed thither free of expence, furnished with every thing requisite for building and for cultivating the soil. Mr James Oglethorpe, one of the trustees, and an active promoter of the settlement, embarked as the head and director of these settlers. They arrived at Charlestown early in the next year. Mr Oglethorpe, accompanied by William Bull, shortly after his arrival, visited Georgia; and after surveying the country, marked the spot on which Savannah now stands, as the fittest to begin their settlement. Here
they accordingly began and built a small fort, and a number of small huts for their defence and accommodation. Such of the settlers as were able to bear arms were embodied, and well appointed with officers, arms, and ammunition. A treaty of friendship was concluded between the settlers and their neighbours the Creek Indians, and every thing wore the aspect of peace and future prosperity. But the fundamental regulations established by the trustees of Georgia were ill adapted to the circumstances and situation of the poor settlers, and of pernicious consequences to the prosperity of the province. Yet although the trustees were greatly mistaken with respect to their plan of settlement, it must be acknowledged their views were generous. Like other distant legislators, who framed their regulations upon principles of speculation, they were liable to many errors and mistakes; and however good their design, their rules were found improper and impracticable. These injudicious regulations and restrictions, the wars in which they were involved with the Spaniards and Indians, and the frequent insurrections among themselves, threw the colony into a state of confusion and wretchedness too great for human nature long to endure. Their oppressed situation was represented to the trustees by repeated complaints; till at length finding that the province languished under their care, and weary with the complaints of the people, they in the year 1752 surrendered their charter to the king, and it was made a royal government.
In the year 1749, the Rev. George Whitefield founded an orphan house academy in Georgia about 12 miles from Savannah. Mr Whitefield died at Newbury port, in New England, in October 1770, in the 56th year of his age, and was buried under the Presbyterian church in that place. From the time Georgia became a royal government in 1752 till the peace of Paris in 1763, she struggled under many difficulties, arising from the want of credit and friends, and the frequent molestations of enemies. The good effects of the peace were sensibly felt in the province of Georgia. From this time it began to flourish under the fatherly care of Governor Wright. To form a judgment of the rapid growth of the colony, we need only attend to its exports. In the year 1763, they consisted of 7500 barrels of rice, 9633 pounds of indigo, 1250 bushels of Indian corn, which, together with deer and beaver skins, naval stores, provisions, timber, &c. amounted to no more than 27,021. sterling. Ten years afterwards, in 1773, they amounted to 121,671. sterling. The chief articles of export from this state are, rice, tobacco, indigo, sago, lumber of various kinds, naval stores, leather, deer skins, snake-root, myrtle, bees wax, corn, live stock, &c.
During the American war, Georgia was overrun by the British troops, and the inhabitants were obliged to flee to the neighbouring states for safety. Since the peace the progress of the population of this state is said to have been astonishingly rapid; though it has been a good deal checked within these few years by the hostile intrusions of the Creek Indians, who continually harass the frontiers of the state. Treaties have been held, and a cessation of hostilities agreed to, between the parties, but all have hitherto proved ineffectual to the accomplishment of a peace.
These Indians inhabit the middle parts of the state, and.
Georgia. and are the most numerous tribe of Indians of any within the limits of the United States. Their whole number is 17,280, of which 5860 are fighting men. Their principal towns lie in latitude 32° and longitude 11° 20' from Philadelphia. They are settled in a hilly but not mountainous country. The soil is fruitful in a high degree, and well watered, abounding in creeks and rivulets, whence they are called the Creek Indians. The Seminolas, a division of the Creek nation inhabit a level flat country on the Apalachicola and Flint rivers, fertile and well watered. The Chactaws or Flatheads inhabit a very fine and extensive tract of hilly country, with large and fertile plains intervening, between the Alabama and Mississippi rivers, in the western part of this state. This nation have 43 towns and villages, in three divisions, containing 12,123 souls, of which 4041 are fighting men. The Chactaws are settled on the head branches of the Tombecbe, Mobile, and Yazoo rivers, in the north-west corner of the state. Their country is an extensive plain, tolerably well watered from springs, and of a pretty good soil. They have 7 towns, the central one of which is in latitude 34° 23', and longitude 14° 30' west. The number of souls in this nation, have been reckoned at 1725, of which 575 are fighting men.
That part of Georgia which has been laid out in counties is divided into the following, viz. Chatham, Effingham, Burke, Richmond, Wilkes, Liberty, Glynn, Camden, Washington, Greene, Franklin; and the chief towns are, Savannah, Ebenezer, Wayneborough and Louisville, Augusta, Washington, Sunbury, Brunswick, St Patrick's, Golphinton, Greenburg.—Savannah was formerly the capital, and is still the largest town (see SAVANNAH). But the present seat of government in this state is Augusta, situated on the south-west bank of Savannah river, about 134 miles from the sea, and 117 north-west of Savannah. The town, which contains not far from 200 houses, is on a fine large plain; and as it enjoys the best soil, and the advantage of a central situation between the upper and lower countries, is rising fast into importance. Louisville, however, is designed as the future seat of government in this state. It has lately been laid out on the bank of Ogeechee river, about 70 miles from its mouth, but is not yet built.
Savannah river forms a part of the divisional line which separates this state from South Carolina. It is formed principally of two branches, by the names of Tugalo and Keowee, which spring from the mountains. Ogeechee river, about 18 miles south of the Savannah, is a smaller river, and nearly parallel with it in its course. Alatomaha, about 60 miles south of Savannah river, is formed by the junction of the Okonee and Okemulgee branches. It is a noble river, but of difficult entrance. Like the Nile, it discharges itself by several mouths into the sea. Besides these, there is Turtle river, Little Sitilla, Great Sitilla, Crooked river, and St Mary's, which form a part of the southern boundary of the United States. The rivers in the middle and western parts of this state are the Apalachicola, which is formed by the Chatahouchee and Flint rivers, Mobile, Pascagoula, and Pearl rivers. All these running southwardly, empty into the gulf of Mexico.
Georgia. In the grand convention at Philadelphia in 1787, the inhabitants of this state were reckoned at 90,000, including three-fifths of 20,000 negroes. But from the number of the militia, which has been ascertained with a considerable degree of accuracy, there cannot be at most more than half that number. No general character will apply to the inhabitants at large. Collected from different parts of the world, as interest, necessity, or inclination led them, their character and manners must of course partake of all the varieties which distinguish the several states and kingdoms from whence they came. There is so little uniformity, that it is difficult to trace any governing principles among them. An aversion to labour is too predominant, owing in part to the relaxing heat of the climate, and partly to the want of necessity to excite industry. An open and friendly hospitality, particularly to strangers, is an ornamental characteristic of a great part of this people.
In regard to religion, politics, and literature, this state is yet in its infancy. In Savannah is an Episcopal church, a Presbyterian church, a synagogue, and a German Lutheran church, supplied occasionally by a German minister from Ebenezer, where there is a large convenient stone church, and a settlement of sober industrious Germans of the Lutheran religion. In Augusta they have an Episcopal church. In Midway is a society of Christians established on the congregational plan. Their ancestors emigrated in a colony from Dorchester, near Boston, about the year 1700, and settled at a place named Dorchester, about 20 miles south-west of Charlestown, South Carolina. In 1752, for the sake of a better climate and more land, almost the whole society removed and settled at Midway.—They, as a people, retain in a great measure that simplicity of manners, that unaffected piety and brotherly love, which characterized their ancestors, the first settlers of New England. The upper countries are supplied pretty generally by Baptist and Methodist ministers; but the greater part of the state is without ministers of any denomination.
The numerous defects in the late constitution of this state, induced the citizens pretty universally to petition for a revision of it. It was accordingly revised, or rather a new one was formed, in the course of the year 1789, nearly upon the plan of the constitution of the United States, which has lately been adopted by the state.
The charter containing the present system of education in this state was passed in the year 1785. A college, with ample and liberal endowments, is instituted in Louisville, a high and healthy part of the country, near the centre of the state. There is also provision made for the institution of an academy in each county in the state, to be supported from the same funds, and considered as parts and members of the same institution, under the general superintendence and direction of a president and board of trustees, appointed for their literary accomplishments from the different parts of the state, and invested with the customary powers of corporations. The institution thus composed is denominated the university of Georgia.—The funds for the support of this institution are principally in lands, amounting in the whole to about 50,000 acres, a great part of which is of the best quality,
Georgia, and at present very valuable. There are also nearly 6000l. sterling in bonds, houses, and town lots in the town of Augusta. Other public property to the amount of 1000l. in each county has been set apart for the purposes of building and furnishing their respective academies. The funds originally designed for the support of the orphan house are chiefly in rice plantations and negroes.