Fort Frederica, Savannah GA
Fort Frederica, the first fort
Established in 1736, Fort Frederica is built. Its construction had been created as a defense against Spanish encroachment. At the time of Georgia’s founding, the colony would eventually become a barrier between English and Spanish territories . When James Oglethorpe arrived in 1733, the colony lay on land under Spanish control with “a number of missionaries along the Georgia coast.” When these were abandoned, the English moved in for their defense and the construction of the fort began
Challenges soon arose and ushered in a period of tension. Fort Frederica stands as a symbol of British power and a barrier against Spanish invasion. A year later the two nations were at war. King George’s war began when Oglethorpe made a move on Spanish St. Augustine. This military scheme failed however and Oglethorpe’s men returned northward. “The Spanish response came two years later.”Thirty-six ships with 2,000 men sailed to St. Simons Island and eventually captured the fort there. Once seized, the British evacuated and returned again to Fort Frederica.
Spanish troops, commanded by Manuel deMontiano went after them.. General Oglethorpe however was prepared and the the latter had to scramble back to Fort St. Simons. Thus ending the War of the Austrian Succession. Never again would the Spanish try to get a foothold in the colony of Georgia.
When Oglethorpe first stepped onto the new world however, his vision had been one of a social experience. He and the trustees of the colony dreamed of transporting debtor from Great Britain to work in cooperation with each other. But, soon they realized the colony would need a population consisting of skilled craftsmen to thrive. By 1743 there were fewer than 1,000 people left and the peace treaty of 1748 left Fort Frederica in ruins when the last British troops were withdrawn.
Thomas McGovern Jr 
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