In the 1730s, England founded the last of its colonies in North
America. The project was the brain child of James Oglethorpe, a
former army officer. After Oglethorpe left the army, he devoted
himself to helping the poor and debt-ridden people of London,
whom he suggested settling in America. His choice of Georgia,
named for the new King, was also motivated by the idea of
creating a defensive buffer for South Carolina, an increasingly
important colony with many potential enemies close by. These
enemies included the Spanish in Florida, the French in Louisiana
and along the Mississippi River, and these powers' Indian allies
throughout the region. Twenty trustees received funding from
Parliament and a charter from the King, issued in June 1732. The
charter granted the trustees the powers of a corporation; they
could elect their own governing body, make land grants, and
enact their own laws and taxes. Since the corporation was a
charitable body, none of the trustees could receive any land
from, or hold a paid posi