On February 12, 1733, General James Edward Oglethorpe and 19 associates named as Trustees, founded
the colony of Georgia. The purpose of the colony, the 13th and the last of the English colonies in
the New World was to aid the poor in England, increase trade and navigation, and to serve as a
protective buffer between Spanish Florida and the northern English colonies.
Savannah was
carefully arranged in squares with blocks of five symmetrical 60 x 90 foot lots facing parks. Each
colonist was given a town lot upon which he must build a house within 18 months, plus a nearby five
arce garden, and a 45 arce farm. This system of public squares was intended as a central area of
fortification, making the colony strong against Spanish attacks. It also served as a social gathering
area for colonists.
Today, over 250 years after Oglethorpe's arrival, the
town still exists as orginally planned with only a few exceptions. The downtown squares are now flanked
by banks, churches,
museums, and many arthitecturally exciting structures. The interiors of the park-like squares are still
common gathering places for tourists, residents, and business people to enjoy, relax, and appreciate.
During the Civil War, Savannah was an important supply point and site of the Confederate naval
yard. The city once again fell to "enemy forces" on December 22, 1864, during General Sherman's famous
"March to the Sea". Rather than risk utter destruction, Savannah surrendered to Sherman and the General
sent this famous message to President Lincoln: "I beg to present to you as a Christmas gift, the city
of Savannah with 150 heavy guns, plenty of ammunition and also about 25,000 bales of cotton."
From its beginning, Savannah was an important seaport, sending England its products of agriculture and
trade with the Indians. Savannah was captured by the patriots early on, but was retaken by the British
in 1778 and it was not reoccupied until 1782. The Polish hero, Count Casimir Pulaski was mortally wounded
during the attempt to recapture the city in 1779. Fort Pulaski, named in his honor is a national monument
