What happened in Georgia during the American Revolution? We hear a lot about events in Massachusetts or Virginia, but what were things like in the colony of Georgia during America's War for Independence?
In 1732, Georgia became the last British colony to be founded. Originally intended by founder James Oglethorpe to be a refuge for debtors and the 'worthy poor,' the colony was founded as a buffer zone to protect southern colonies from Spanish incursions. Georgia did not have a prominent role in the American Revolution the way other colonies like Massachusetts or Virginia did.
Bearing reference to King George II, Loyalist sentiment was common throughout the colony. Loyalists were those American colonists who did not desire independence from Great Britain but instead remained 'loyal' to the Crown. Sometimes Loyalists were also called 'Tories.' Loyalists tended to be more common throughout the South, where republicanism was not as strong and where British troops were regarded more favorably because they helped protect settlers from Native American tribes.
It's safe to say that on the eve of the American Revolution, anti-British sentiment was not nearly as pronounced in Georgia as it was in other colonies. For example, Georgia did not participate in the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 or the First Continental Congress in 1774 due to a lack of anti-British sentiment. Until the outbreak of violence at Lexington and Concord, most Georgian colonists were perfectly content to be British subjects. Georgia was probably the most pro-British of the 13 colonies, but this would not remain the case for long.
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