Georgia’s Charter of 1732, originally published in 1942, is a scholar’s guide to the charter. The full text of the Georgia Charter of 1732 is reproduced in the book alongside the Albert B. Saye’s account of the events leading up to the granting of the charter. This essential moment at the very beginning of Georgia’s history is better understood through Saye’s narrative surrounding the Georgia Charter. The Georgia Open History Library has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this collection, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Published in 1948, this work provides a detailed account of the constitutional history of Georgia from the Charter of 1732 to the adoption of the Constitution of 1945 and includes an analysis of the 1948 Georgia Constitution. Albert B. Saye presents the major constitutional developments in chronological order. An index allows readers to compare different aspects of Georgia's eight constitutions, such as the composition of the General Assembly, the powers of the Governor, and the jurisdiction of the Courts. Based on extensive research of original sources, A Constitutional History of Georgia reveals the evolution of the Georgia constitution up to 1948 as a gradual expansion of political democracy.

Information pertaining to each settler consists, generally, of name, age, occupation, place of origin, names of spouse, children and other family members, dates of embarkation and arrival, place of settlement, and date of death. In addition, some of the more notorious aspects of the settlers' lives are recounted in brief, telltale sketches.

Published in 1995, this volume examines the Bray Associates, a philanthropic society founded by the missionary Thomas Bray. The Bray Associates was the parent organization of the Georgia Trustees, the founding and original governing body of the Georgia Colony. James Edward Oglethorpe led the Bray Associates from 1730 to 1732, a period of revitalization for the group. It was through the Associates that Oglethorpe's colonial ambitions gained the legitimacy needed to win Parliament's support. Rodney M. Baine argues that it was not Bray or Captain Thomas Coram, but rather James Oglethorpe who was the first individual to envision Georgia as a charitable colony for debtors. Further, the actual work involved in obtaining the Georgia Charter was accomplished by men appointed by Oglethorpe. Baine dates Oglethorpe's first vision of an American haven for debtors released from English prisons to 1729, when Oglethorpe began his efforts to move parliament toward a reform of the prison system. The minutes show Oglethorpe at all times in control of the mission of the Bray Associates, which he reorganized and expanded with the most active and able members of his parliamentary committee on prison reform. Baine believes that no other colony owes its beginnings more to the vision, determination, and activity of one man. A full introduction summarizes the developments in the creation of Georgia and in an appendix Baine disputes previous attributions of Georgia's founding vision to Bray and Coram.

This collection of fifty-nine primary documents presents multiple viewpoints on more than four centuries of growth, conflict, and change in Georgia. The selections range from a captive's account of a 1597 Indian revolt against Spanish missionaries on the Georgia coast to an impassioned debate in 1992 between county commissioners and environmental activists over a proposed hazardous waste facility in Taylor County. Drawn from such sources as government records, newspapers, oral histories, personal diaries, and letters, the documents give a voice to the concerns and experiences of men and women representing the diverse races, ethnic groups, and classes that, over time, have contributed to the state's history. Cornerstones of Georgia History is especially suited for classroom use, but it provides any concerned citizen of the state with a historical basis on which to form relevant and independent opinions about Georgia's present-day challenges.

As Sweet focuses on negotiations between James Oglethorpe, the English leader, and Tomochichi, the Lower Creek representative, over issues of trade, land, and military support, she also looks at other individuals and groups who played a role in British-Creek interactions during this period: British traders; missionaries, including John Wesley and George Whitefield; the Salzburgers of Ebenezer; interpreters such as Mary Musgrove; the Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Cherokees; British colonists from South Carolina; and Spanish and French forces who vied with the Georgia settlers for land, trading rights, and Indian support.