Home > James Oglethorpe

He was born in Godalming, Surrey, the son of Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe (1650-1702) of Westbrook Place, Godalming. He entered Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1714, but in the same year joined the army of Prince Eugene. Through the recommendation of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, he became aide-de-camp to the prince, and he served with distinction in the campaign against the Turks, 1716-17, more especially at the siege and capture of Belgrade. After his return to England he was elected as member of parliament for Haslemere in 1722. He campaigned for the improvement of the circumstances of poor debtors in London prisons; for the purpose of providing a refuge for persons who had become insolvent, and for oppressed Protestants on the continent, he proposed the settlement of a colony in America between Carolina and Florida. He laid the groundwork for the colonization of the state, proposing that it be colonized with debtorIn economics a debtor (or a borrower) owes money to a creditor Accounting.s released from the abominable conditions of England's debtors' prisons.

Oglethorpe sailed for Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston is an American city located predominantly in Charleston County, South Carolina. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Town Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location in 1690, when it had a population of 1200 and was the fifth on the ship Ann, arriving in 1732, and settled near the present site of Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah is a city located in Chatham County, Georgia. The population was 131,510 for the city (and 257,889 for the metropolitan area) in the 2000 census. It is located at latitude 32°5'0" North, longitude 81°6'0" West. The city is the county seat of Chat, negotiating with the CreekThe Creeks are a Native American tribe native to the southeastern United States. They are closely related to the Seminole and share common languages. The Creeks are also known by their original name, Muscogee. Most cultural Creeks were removed to the Indi tribe for land and establishing a series of defensive forts. He then returned to England and arranged to have slaverySlavery is involuntary servitude, enforced by violence or other, clear forms of coercion. It is sometimes regarded as an expectation associated with other relationships, such as marriage and/or other family relations, military service, or debt relationshi banned in Georgia. Oglethorpe was granted a royal charter for the Province of GeorgiaThe Georgia Colony one of the Southern colonies, was the last North American colony established by the British in what was to be come the United States. Founded by James Oglethorpe, the corporate charter for the Province of Georgia was signed by King Geor on June 9June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. Events 68 Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide, imploring his secretary Epaphroditus to slit his throat to evade a Senate-imposed death by flogging, 1732. [1]

At that time, tension between Spain and England was high, and there was a fear among the English that the Spanish colony of Florida was threatening the British Province of South Carolina. Georgia was a key contested area, lying in between the two colonies. It was Oglethorpe's idea that British debtors should be sent to Georgia instead of imprisoned; however, no debtors were chosen to be settlers of Georgia. This, at least theoretically, would both rid England of its undesirable elements and provide her with a base from which to attack Florida. In 1739 during the War of Jenkins' Ear, fought between English Georgia and Spanish Florida as part of a larger conflict, the War of Austrian Succession, Oglethorpe was responsible for a number of successful raids on Spanish forts, as well as the unsuccessful siege of St. Augustine.

In 1745 Oglethorpe was promoted to the rank of major-general. His conduct in connection with the Jacobite Rising of that year resulted in his court-martial, but he was acquitted. In 1765 he was raised to the rank of general. He died at Cranham Hall, Essex.