Oglethorpe the Negotiator
By Arlene Angwin
Oglethorpe scanned the shore of the New World. Soon, the Ann would dock in Charleston.
Passengers pressed against the ship’s rail for their first glimpse of land in many weeks. Well
pleased, Oglethorpe rubbed his hands together.
Sent by the Georgia Board of Trustees in London, his task was to create a colony to protect
South Carolina (founded in 1680) from Spanish held Florida (founded in 1565). The trustees had
decided to name the newest and thirteenth American colony after their monarch, King George
III. Knowing the Spanish claimed the area from the St. Mary River all the way to the Savannah,
the English knew this land would be disputed — perhaps by blood.
Protestant England was at war with Catholic Spain as both superpowers struggled for
preeminence in Europe. England had seen her share of bloodshed from the time Henry VIII
broke from the Catholic Church (finalized in 1533) to marry his lover, Anne Boleyn. After
Henry’s death, his son (ascended the throne at age 9 years) carried on the tradition of
Protestantism, but died a few years later.
Next in line was Henry’s eldest child and daughter of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Mary
had suffered the deep humiliation of watching her mother become an outcast and herself declared
a bastard. After a short civil war, Mary I emerged victorious — and determined to return
England to Catholicism. Many refused, only to meet their fate at the stake. After a five year reign
of terror, earning her the moniker of “Bloody Mary”, she died. Her Protestant half-sister, and
land. For many years, Europe had also fought war after war over the “true” religion, which kings
used to maintain the loyalty of their subjects. Thousands of people fled Europe and settled in
America to escape persecution. As the Quakers had in New England, two groups, the
Salzburgers of Austria and the Moravians of Bohemia sought asylum in the new colony of
Georgia.
England needed Georgia to protect South Carolina. Originally, Oglethorpe had envisioned a land
where people could settle and keep them out of debtor’s prison. Understanding the need for
skilled craftsmen, he never saw the fulfillment of that dream. Instead, he carefully screened each
family requesting voyage, basing his choices on their expertise. Once finished, he sailed from
Gravesend, England, on November 17, 1732, with 114 settlers.
The Ann first docked at Charles Town (Charleston), South Carolina. Oglethorpe went ashore,
while the new colonists waited aboard the ship. There, he met the governor and learned of a
couple who had recently settled on the Savannah River to run a trading post. Both were born of
native mothers and European fathers. The governor assured Oglethorpe they could serve as
translators between himself and the local leader, Mico Tomochichi, when he landed in Georgia.
Oglethorpe had engaged a smaller boat to take him up the Savannah River in search of the best
place to settle. He discovered Yamacraw Bluff 17 miles upriver and home to Tomochichi’s small
tribe of followers. After finding the Musgrove trading post, Oglethorpe asked to meet the aged
mico. Once he had been summoned, John Musgrove handled most of the translating, even
though Mary’s knowledge of English was better. He remained the primary translator until his
death a few years later.
Oglethorpe had arrived in America determined to treat the leader and all natives with respect and
fairness. Tomochichi expressed several pressing concerns during those first negotiations. First
and foremost, he wanted fair trade practices. He knew the English traders were cheating his
people. However, the French traders to the west and the Spanish to the south had treated the
natives even worse, so he had decided to work only with the English.
Besides fair trading, Tomochichi insisted the native children be educated like the English. He
seemed to know that their way of life would fade away with the coming of so many Europeans.
He wanted those future generations to be empowered with knowledge. His third request was to
educate his people in the English religion. For all its faults, he still considered it better than
native superstitions and beliefs.
In return, Oglethorpe would receive the land that lay between the Savannah and Altamaha (60
miles south) rivers. The mico requested a council of 8 other local leaders to aid in negotiations.
They also relinquished control of several sea islands, while keeping the rest for hunting and
fishing. After a successful conclusion, Tomochichi hosted a huge celebration, with both sides
satisfied over the terms.
Oglethorpe and the mico’s friendship, based on mutual trust and respect, remained firm until
Tomochichi’s death six years later.