Georgia got her name in 1732 when EngHsh philan- 

 thropist James Oglethorpe and his associates received 

 a charter to settle the land from King George II. The 

 colony was originated as an asylum for debtors, for a 

 Lutheran sect which broke away from the established 

 church in Austria, and for other persecuted groups. 



On February 12, 1733, Oglethorpe and a party of 

 114 settlers landed at Yamacraw Bluff and founded the 

 city of Savannah. The new colony was designed as a 

 protective bumper for the well settled Carolina colo- 

 nies from the still strong Spanish encampment to the 

 south. In 1736, Oglethorpe established a fort on St. 

 Simons Island near present day Bnmswick as a final 

 defense against any potential Spanish invasion. The 

 threat of Spanish attack ended in 1742 when Ogle- 

 thorpe and his men defeated their rivals at the Battle 

 of Bloody Marsh. 



After the colonists settled and the troubles with 

 Spain diminished, the people of Georgia got down to 

 the business of developing a stable agricultural econ- 

 omy. Following some economic difficulties, the plan- 

 tation system became a way of life as exports of tobacco 

 and of other agricultural commodities helped bolster 

 the economy. 



From colonial times to today, tobacco has been the 

 livelihood of thousands of farm families in Georgia. Its 

 importance has steadily increased since the first seeds 

 were planted in the 18th century. 



