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Primary sourceDocument1732

Charter of the Colony of Georgia

George II / Crown of Great Britain · 1732

The 1732 royal charter issued in George II's name created the colony of Georgia and set out its government under trustees.

Issued in George II's name, this charter founded and named the colony of Georgia after him.

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About this source

What it is

This document is the royal charter founding the colony of Georgia in North America, issued in 1732 in the name of King George II. It set out the purposes of the colony and the powers of its trustees. Copies are held by the Georgia Archives, with original records at The National Archives in the UK.

Why it matters

The charter shows how the king's authority was used to found a new overseas colony, named in George II's honour. It reveals official thinking about poverty, unemployment and colonial defence at the time, and how the Crown used charters to organise settlement and government in America.

Look closer

  • Why might the charter describe the future settlers as "poor subjects" in need of land?
  • What reasons does the text give for founding the colony, and whose interests do they serve?
  • What is left out about the people already living on the land being granted?

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