James Oglethorpe- Blue GA Plate #1

Founder of Georgia, General James Edward Oglethorpe

“A wise philanthropist, a distinguished soldier, a persuasive statesman, a learned scholar, a perfect gentleman, a true friend; founder of the Colony of Georgia February 12, 1733.”

A British general and philanthropist, Oglethorpe established the Georgia Colony to provide a refuge for the poor and oppressed. The colony was created as a buffer between the British colony of Carolina and the Spanish settlements in Florida. Oglethorpe settled near the present site of Savannah on February 12, 1733, negotiating with the Creek Indians for the land.