An Historical Account of the Rise and Progress of the Colonies of South Carolina and Georgia, Volume 2

In Short

This historical narrative details the middle decades of South Carolina and Georgia as they transform from fragile outposts into prosperous, contentious British colonies. It traces the founding of Savannah, military clashes with Spain and the Cherokees, the internal strains of slavery and religious division, and the economic rise of indigo and rice. Written from an eighteenth-century British perspective, the work combines administrative history with vivid local observation. It has endured as an irreplaceable primary account of how rigid colonial policies, regional ecology, and growing political alienation laid the groundwork for the ultimate breach between Britain and her American colonies.

The Story

The narrative opens in the early 1730s with the high-minded establishment of Georgia. Chartered under Lord Percival and spearheaded on the ground by James Oglethorpe, the new colony is conceived as a benevolent refuge and a military barrier against Spanish Florida. Oglethorpe settles Savannah with British colonists, negotiates land treaties with local Indian leaders like Tomochichi, and lays out a system of defense. Yet from its inception, the Georgia experiment is burdened by the Trustees' rigid regulations: lands are granted strictly in tail male, trade is heavily restricted, and both rum and enslaved labor are strictly banned. The settlers struggle under these utopian constraints and the harsh climate, while European crops fail to yield expected riches.

Simultaneously, neighboring South Carolina faces its own internal and external crises. A bloody slave uprising shocks the province, prompting deep anxieties among the white population over internal security and the brutal realities of their plantation economy. Externally, tensions with Spain escalate into war. Oglethorpe leads a joint colonial force to besiege the Spanish stronghold of St. Augustine, but the expedition collapses into recrimination, military failure, and disease. Though Oglethorpe later clears his military reputation before a British court-martial, he leaves America permanently, leaving Georgia to transition from military control to a civil administration under President William Stephens.

As the middle of the century approaches, economic realities force profound shifts. The Georgia Trustees, weary of constant settler complaints and stagnant progress, surrender their charter to the Crown in 1752, transforming Georgia into a royal colony. With the lifting of restrictive laws and the introduction of enslaved labor, both colonies experience an economic surge. Indigo emerges alongside rice as a lucrative staple, transforming Charlestown into a wealthy, bustling metropolis cooled by ocean breezes but exposed to catastrophic fires and freezing blights.

This growing prosperity, however, is constantly threatened by frontier warfare and imperial mismanagement. Frontier clashes ignite a bitter war with the Cherokees. Despite peacemaking efforts by leaders like Attakullakulla, British forces under Colonel Grant march into the backcountry, burning towns and breaking native resistance. Meanwhile, influxes of foreign Protestants—such as hundreds of destitute German Palatines rescued in London and shipped to Carolina—rapidly expand the white population.

In its final movement, the chronicle examines the widening rift between the colonies and Great Britain. Following the French and Indian War, Parliament attempts to tax the colonies, triggering intense local backlash. Though the repeal of the Stamp Act brings brief celebration—including the erection of a statue of William Pitt in Charlestown—the underlying bond is permanently broken. Colonial pride, economic self-sufficiency, and a growing republican spirit convince the Americans that British rule is oppressive, setting the stage for total separation.

How It Unfolds

The utopian experiment launched Trustees gather in London to establish Georgia as a benevolent colony, adopting a seal that promises selfless service. James Oglethorpe sails with the first settlers, arrives in Charlestown, and selects the high bluff at Yamacraw on the Savannah River to build a fort and town.

Trustees impose rigid restrictions The governing corporation restricts land inheritance strictly to the male line, bans the importation of rum, and forbids enslaved labor. These idealistic rules, coupled with poor yields from European grains, leave the initial settlers starved, miserable, and unable to clear the dense forest.

War with Spain and military failure Tensions escalate into open war, prompting Oglethorpe to lead colonial troops against Spanish Florida. The siege of St. Augustine ends in disaster, heavy sickness, and fierce arguments between South Carolina provincials and the General over military skill and caution.

Surrender of the Georgia charter Exhausted by constant complaints and anemic trade returns, the Trustees surrender their governance to the King in 1752. Georgia becomes a royal province under Governor John Reynolds, opening the door to land expansion, trade, and economic growth.

The rise of staple agriculture Planters discover that indigo thrives in the southern soil, providing a highly profitable dye export to Britain. Charlestown grows into a wealthy, sophisticated city of brick homes, wide streets, and active maritime trade, though periodically battered by fires and severe frosts.

Frontier war with the Cherokees Despite the diplomatic interventions of Attakullakulla, war breaks out along the frontier. Colonel Grant leads a large British force deep into Indian territory, repelling ambushes and destroying Cherokee towns to force a bitter peace.

Rescuing foreign Protestants Five hundred destitute Palatine Germans, abandoned in London by a deceitful promoter, receive royal charity and safe passage to South Carolina. Their arrival bolsters the agricultural population and balances the colony's demographic needs.

The seeds of revolution planted Parliament's efforts to tax the colonies spark intense resistance across Carolina. Although the repeal of the Stamp Act causes temporary rejoicing, mutual trust is destroyed, and the colonists prepare to sever their ties with the mother country.

The People

• James Oglethorpe wants to establish a secure, well-regulated colony for British settlers and defend the southern frontier. He faces military defeat at St. Augustine, hostile Spanish neighbors, and bitter criticism from provincial soldiers. Though vindicated by a court-martial in England, he never returns to America, leaving his settlement to transition to royal rule.

• Tomochichi wants to preserve his people's land and maintain peaceful, equitable relations with the new English arrivals. He greets Oglethorpe with formal speeches and negotiates treaties that grant the settlers space to construct Savannah.

• Attakullakulla wants to avoid a devastating war between the Cherokee nation and the British army. He faces the aggressive impulses of younger Cherokee warriors who despise his peaceful counsel. Despite pleading with British commanders to pause their advance, he fails to prevent the destruction of his people's towns.

• Alexander Garden wants to protect his Charlestown congregation from what he views as dangerous religious enthusiasm. He confronts the itinerant preacher George Whitfield, publicly criticizing his doctrines as wild and quackish, only to face fierce verbal counterattacks from Whitfield's devoted followers.

• Occonostota wants to strike back against British military presence in Cherokee territory. He uses a clever ruse involving a false peace offering to lure Captain Coytmore out of his fort, resulting in the captain's death and a gruesome retaliation against Indian hostages.

In Its Own Voice

"The device was, on one side, two figures resting upon urns... on the other side was a represention of silk worms, some beginning and others having finished their web, with the motto, NON SIBI SED ALIIS..."

This passage describes the corporate seal chosen by the Trustees for Georgia, capturing their founding ideal of altruistic service.

"To keep the minds of human creatures under clouds of darkness, neither disciplined by reason, nor regulated by religion, is a reproach to the name of Protestants, especially in a land of Christian light and liberty."

The author reflects on the harsh treatment and forced ignorance of enslaved people in South Carolina, arguing that denying them instruction violates Christian duty.

"...the sons of Englishmen in America by degrees lost their affection for England, and it was remarkable, that the most violent enemies to Scotland were the descendants of Scotchmen."

This observation highlights the rapid erosion of ancestral loyalty among third-generation American colonists prior to the Revolution.

What It's Really About

At its core, the text examines the fundamental friction between distant imperial governance and local reality. The Trustees attempt to construct an ideal social order by banning slavery, rum, and female land inheritance, yet their utopian vision collapses because it ignores the economic drives and environmental demands of the American coast.

The work also wrestles with the moral and social contradictions of colonial prosperity. It highlights how the region's wealth relies heavily on the brutal exploitation of enslaved labor, warning that keeping human beings in enforced ignorance creates an ever-present danger of insurrection. Finally, it documents the psychological birth of a new nation, showing how shared hardships, economic self-reliance, and distance gradually erased British identity, replacing inherited loyalty with an unyielding demand for self-determination.

Why Read It Today

This work offers a valuable, unvarnished window into the mechanics of British colonialism during a pivotal period of expansion. Readers interested in early American history will appreciate its detailed look at the everyday logistics of colonial life—from the exact process of curing indigo to the political maneuvering required to fund frontier defense. The author writes with clear-eyed observational precision, avoiding romantic mythmaking in favor of administrative and economic reality.

The prose reflects its era: sentences can be long and formal, period attitudes regarding race and indigenous peoples are present throughout, and detailed descriptions of legislative petitions or military logistics require patient reading. Yet those very qualities make the account deeply compelling. It captures the raw tensions of a world where European empires, native nations, and enslaved populations collided on a fragile frontier. Modern readers will find a surprisingly candid assessment of imperial hubris, seeing precisely how administrative shortsightedness in London alienated the American colonies decades before the Declaration of Independence.