Georgia was the last of the thirteen original British colonies to be founded.
The Province of Georgia was established in 1732, more than a century after Virginia, the first permanently settled English colony, was founded at Jamestown in 1607. Georgia’s creation was associated with James Oglethorpe and trustees who envisioned a colony that could provide opportunities for poor settlers and serve as a defensive buffer between South Carolina and Spanish Florida.
The colony’s first settlement, Savannah, was established in 1733. Georgia initially operated under a distinctive trusteeship, and restrictions were placed on slavery and certain economic activities. Those rules changed over time, and Georgia became a royal colony in 1752.
The thirteen colonies were not all founded for the same reason. Some grew from religious aims, others from commercial ventures, and Georgia combined strategic and social goals. When the colonies declared independence in 1776, Georgia joined the other twelve in forming the United States. Its late founding explains why Georgia is often called the youngest of the original thirteen colonies.