Frederica was never intended to be self- sufficient. 6515 Frederica Rd. Fort Frederica, the most expensive fort in America at that time, was built on Creek Indian land. Contained within this outer defense perimeter was a stronger fort that guarded Frederica's water approaches. About 630 British troops were stationed at the fort. He was given the 42nd Regiment of Foote, now known as "Oglethorpe's Regiment," consisting of 250 men from Gibraltar, 300 men recruited in England, and 45 men from the tower of London. Lots had room for gardens and settlers were given additional acreage elsewhere on the island for growing crops. A fleet with thirty-six ships and 2,000 soldiers sailed from St. Augustine and arrived off St. Simons Island early in July. Having laid out the town of Savannah in 1733, Oglethorpe realized the importance of protection from the Spanish to the south. Little damage was done to the Spanish fleet and the soldiers landed unopposed at Gascoigne Bluff, near where the causeway is today. By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia. A ride to the north end of St. Simons Island with a visit to Fort Frederica provides visible evidence of the English occupation that followed. During its heyday, from 1736 to 1758, General James Oglethorpe's town and fort played a pivotal role in the struggle for empire between the competing interests of England and Spain. In 1736, three years after the founding of Savannah, James Oglethorpe established Fort Frederica to protect his southern boundary. If you have a story you'd like to have shared on the show p… The fort's location on a bend in the Frederica River allowed it to control approaches by enemy ships. Fort Frederica, Georgia, 1742. Colonists from England, Scotland, and the Germanic states came to Georgia to support this endeavor. Nancy has help direct and played for children and youth choirs as well as participated in adult church and community choirs. Fort Frederica National Monument, on St. Simons Island, Georgia, preserves the archaeological remnants of a fort and town built by James Oglethorpe between 1736 and 1748 to protect the southern boundary of the British colony of Georgia from Spanish raids. These involved wooden branches covered with palmetto leaves which while lacking amenities of a more permanent structure proved adequate for providing shelter from the sun and rain. In the early 18th century, the land lying between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida was known as the debatable land. One of Gen. Oglethorpe's primary concerns involved Georgia's defense. The British garrison there evacuated before the Spanish soldiers arrived and retreated north to Fort Frederica. The history of Fort Matanzas down in St Augustine is that it kept switching hands between the Spanish and other countries. For Frederica, the peace treaty that Great Britain and Spain signed in 1748 sounded its death knell. Caught off guard, the Spanish recoiled in shock and confusion, retreating back toward their compatriots at Fort St. Simons. Fort Frederica National Monument is located at 6515 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, Georgia. The National Park Service also maintains a detached area at the … He sent a reconnaissance in force of 200 men up the Military Road in the direction of Fort Frederica. The effect was similar to base closings today. St. Simons Island, GA Nevertheless, General Oglethorpe did not trust Spain which had denounced the new colony of its border with Florida and knew that his venture would not go unchallenged. In 1736, on this historic site, Fort Frederica was constructed by the early settlers of the Colony of Georgia under General James Edward Oglethorpe. In time, many settlers replaced their bowers with more substantial structures than these, but nothing more than foundations remain today. St. Simons Island, GA Today the archeological remains of colonial Frederica are protected by the National Park Service. The Spanish response came two years later. Other forts were located at the north and south ends of Cumberland Island and on the St. Johns River in Florida. Its founders, General Oglethorpe and twenty other trustees saw it as a social experiment, a humanitarian mission to relieve unemployment and relief to those who crowded England's squalid debtors prisons. Location of Fort Frederica James Oglethorpe strategically located this new fort near a 10-foot high "bluff" on the Frederica River, one of a series of connecting rivers, sometimes called the "inland passage," forming the delta of the Altamaha River. Montiano sent reinforcement to help the first column of soldiers, but these too were caught unawares and ambushed at Bloody Marsh. By 1743, nearly 1,000 people lived at Frederica. Abbreviated History of Fort Frederica At St. Simons Island. Though a 1758 fire destroyed most of the town, it had been a lively commercial center and military post at the edge of … This British victory not only confirmed that Georgia was British territory, but also signaled the end for Frederica. In the southeast, General Oglethorpe made the first move and launched an attack against St. Augustine. The entire structure was surrounded in a manner similar to the town by earthen walls and cedar posts approximately ten feet high. Unsure of the terrain or how many enemy soldiers he faced, Montaino reembarked his forces, set sail, and returned to Florida. This clash of cultures pitted British redcoats, the Highland Independent Company of Foot, and coastal rangers … Frederica town followed the traditional pattern of an English village. For Frederica, the peace treaty that Great Britain and Spain signed in 1748 sounded its death knell. Although it failed as a settlement, its success in defending Georgia from Spanish attack made its success as first as a British colony and later as part of the United States possible. Returning from England, the regiment fell in for the first time on September 28, 1738. The British followed up their victory by pursuing the Spanish. He would spend the next ten years working to make the colony succeed. The Friends of Fort Frederica (FoFF), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established in collaborate with the National Park Service. A marker for the Battle of Gully Hole Creek can be seen on Frederica Road just south of Fort Frederica. 00:10:34 - Brief history of Fort Frederica and the odd and haunting history Of Christ Church. Nature finished the process of reclaiming Frederica with vines overgrowing the few tabby ruins still standing and in time little was left but a memory. Georgia founder James Oglethorpe built Fort Frederica and the surrounding town on St. Simons Island in 1736 to defend the three-year-old colony from the Spanish in Florida. General Oglethorpe imported 5,000 mulberry trees to try an encourage silk production, but at no success. The last significant excavation at Fort Frederica took place in the late 1970s. The original goal of General Oglethorpe and the other trustees to relieve the suffering of those in debtors prisons remains a powerful myth even today, but despite these good intentions, the reality was far different. This altruistic goal eventually expanded to include the more pragmatic purposes of expanding trade for the mother country and providing a buffer colony on the southern frontier. Our mission is to preserve and promote the future of Fort Frederica … It is surrounded by a quadrangular rampart, with four bastions of earth well stocked and turned, and a palisade ditch.". The area contains many historically significant sites including Fort Frederica established by James Oglethorpe in 1736, the St. Simons Island lighthouse originally built in 1810, and the Brunswick waterfront where Liberty Ships were constructed during WWII—and a story accompanies each location. Georgia founder James Oglethorpe built Fort Frederica and the surrounding town on St. Simons Island in 1736 to defend the three-year-old colony from the Spanish in Florida. Colonists from England, Scotland, and the Germanic states came to Frederica to support the endeavor. FREDERICA - HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. More Frederica History... Fort Frederica National Monument It guarded the entrance into Jekyll Sound that provided access to Frederica's back door. No longer needed to guard against Spanish attack, the … The first real archaeological treatment of the site occurred in the 1940s and ‘50s. The colony lay in an area between South Carolina and Florida, "debatable" land that was claimed by both Great Britain and Spain. Fort Frederica History Established as a fortified community of British settlers in 1736. A regular engagement ensued, lasting about one hour, before the Spanish broke off contact and retreated again. The town enjoyed a relative measure of prosperity owing to the crown's dispensation, but it was a prosperity that was built on military outlays. Some would say Presbyterianism began with the original disciples of Jesus as the first elders of the church. Not so the case up north, as the British maintained control of Fort Frederica and the Golden Isles consistently. This land (today's Georgia) was the epicenter of a centuries-old imperial conflict between Spain and Britain. Colonists from England, Scotland, and the Germanic states came to Frederica to support this endeavor. History records only eleven families fitting the description of debtors that eventually settled in Georgia during its early history. In 1945, Fort Frederica National Monument was established. Fort Frederica National Monument, on St. Simons Island, Georgia, preserves the archaeological remnants of a fort and town built by James Oglethorpe between 1736 and 1748 to protect the southern boundary of the British colony of Georgia from Spanish raids. About 630 British troops were stationed at the fort. Spanish forces from Florida and Cuba landed on St. Simons Island. Local residents took a lead in preserving the site as a reminder of America's colonial past. There is a short film that explains the site’s history. A year after the regiment arrived at Fort Frederica, Great Britain declared war on Spain. The fort was built in 1721 along what is now known as the Darien River and served as the southernmost outpost of the British Empire in the Americas until 1727. The fort was constructed in what was then considered part of the colony of South Carolina, but was territory later settled as Georgia. This consisted of an earthen wall called a rampart that gave protection to soldiers from enemy shot and shell, a dry moat and two ten-foot tall wooden palisades. Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia from the Spanish in Florida. Despite his initial success, the Spanish commander, Manuel de Montiano, proceeded captiously. These combined with the soldiers already in Georgia placed nearly 1,000 men under his command. Oglethorpe's attack on a Spanish reconnaisance party at Gully Hole Creek led to the battle at "Bloody Marsh". After the philanthropist James Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia in 1733, to provide a place where poor debtors could settle, colonists from England and Scotland, and refugees from the German Electorate of the Palatinatebuilt Fort Frederica in 1736 to defend their ne… Fort Frederica combined both a military installation, a fort, with a settlement, the town of Frederica. Although little remains to remind us of its prowess today, a visitor in 1745 described it as "a pretty strong fort of tabby, which has several 18 pounders mounted on a ravelin (triangular embankment) mounted in its front, and commands the river both upwards and downwards. Here, in 1736, he established Fort Frederica, named for the Prince of Wales, Frederick Louis (1702-1754). The local economy collapsed and as many as half the town's people left to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Archaeological excavations were done in time that uncovered Frederica's past and allowed its story to be told again to new generations of Americans. In the early 18th century, Europeans called the land lying between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida the "Debatable Land". Fort Frederica History Established as a fortified community of British settlers in 1736. All reviews fort frederica park ranger visitor center colonial history minute film self guided tour early history bug spray james oglethorpe history buff spanish moss interesting place live oaks step back in time beautiful grounds great place to visit bloody marsh oak trees lots of history … Before they arrived outside the gates of the town, General Oglethorpe took the offensive. There, they proceeded to march overland and capture Fort St. Simons without further resistance. Those that remained continued to call Frederica home until 1758. Despite the name, casualties were light and the Spanish continued their campaign on St. Simons. Exploring the coast, he selected St. Simons Island for a new fortification. It was named for the Prince of Wales, Frederick Louis. Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island served as the British military headquarters in colonial America. 44 men and 72 women and children arrived to build the fort and town, and by the 1740s Frederica was a thriving village of about 500 citizens. Fort Frederica is a small colonial site. The fort's location on a bend in the Frederica River allowed it to control approaches by enemy ships. A memorial to the role of Christianity in the founding of the first English settlements in Georgia, it is considered one of America's most beautiful churches. Fort Frederica National Monument Denominational History Presbyterians are a community of mainline, protestant churches that began during the Reformation in the 1600’s. Even before the settlers left England, the trustees had provided that adequate stores be furnished for their needs. 31522. 44 men and 72 women and children arrived to build the fort and town, and by the 1740s Frederica was a thriving village of about 500 citizens. By 1743, nearly 1,000 people lived at Frederica. One of these was Fort St. Simons, located on the south end of St. Simons Island, where the lighthouse currently stands. Similar in style if not in scale to Williamsburg, VA., its lots were laid out in two wards separated by a central roadway called Broad St. Each house occupied a lot sixty by ninety feet. General Oglethorpe had banned slavery from the colony for that very reason. Words and images by Ryan Hutchins. The fort was founded by Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe to prevent Spanish attack that would come up from the southern Florida border. Fort Frederica is a National Monument in the state of Georgia, USA which was originally established by the British General James Oglethorpe in 1736 to fortify a British settlement. Three years after founding Georgia in 1733, Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe established Fort Frederica to defend the fledgling colony against Spanish attack from Florida. In that year, a fire started and before the last flame died out what remained of the town was a blackened, charred ruin. In addition to Fort Frederica, there were four other British outposts located farther south. Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site, County Rd S-18-373, Summerville, SC 29485, USA The wall measure one mile in circumference. To forestall any Spanish attempt to regain the Georgia land, General Oglethorpe pushed south from Savannah. The Friends of Fort Frederica (FoFF), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established in collaborate with the National Park Service. Fort Frederica was documented and authorized as a National Monument on May 26, 1936, under the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration during the Great Depression. Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia. As an economic venture, Frederica failed as well as Georgia. Today's state of Georgia was then the center of a centuries-old imperial conflict between Spain and Britain. 18th century drawing, artist unknown. The British forces retreated northward, but General Oglethorpe understood that whatever respite they had gained would be temporary. The ships forced a passage of Jekyll sound, following a lengthy cannonade with Fort St. Simons. General Oglethorpe's foresight proved fortunate. This is a curriculum-based education program created and administered since 1994 by a partnership between Ft. Frederica National Monument and the Glynn County School System and Board of Education. Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia from the Spanish in Florida. Today, what is left of Fort Frederica is part of the National Parks network. March 9, 1736 - Ft. Frederica “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” are among the greatest hymns ever written. If you appreciate a little history and have the urge to venture on a mini road trip, not even two hours up Interstate 95 are two hidden gems along coastal Georgia. 18th century drawing of Fort Frederica. 31522. Fort Frederica National Monument archaeologist Michael Siebert takes a measurement inside one of the pits dug during an archaeological dig currently going on at the fort. Fort Frederica History is hands on at the Museum. One hundred sixteen settlers arrived in March and April of 1736 under the command of General James Oglethorpe and built a fortified settlement. One hundred sixteen settlers arrived in March and April of 1736 under the command of General James Oglethorpe and built a fortified settlement. Fort Frederica, St. Simons Island has a small, but engaging museum where children can dress up in period outfits, sit at a Tavern table, play colonial games and even write a letter with a quill. Fort Frederica, King's Magazine Ruins, Saint Simons Island, Glynn County, GA . Fort Frederica is a National Monument in the state of Georgia, USA which was originally established by the British General James Oglethorpe in 1736 to fortify a British settlement. (The feminine spelling was added to distinguish it from another fort with the same name.). Although the trustees' involvement was purely philanthropic, it was expected that the colonists would prosper by producing wine, silk, or some other commodity. At Fort Frederica, this meant people who could provide products or services of use to the soldiers of the garrison. 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