Was Georgia the temperate paradise as originally described by James Oglethorpe? Not according to these reenactors. The first English colonists faced a wilderness plagued by insects, heat, and disease. Of the original 144 colonists, nearly one in three died. An annual re-creation of colonial life held at Wormsloe Plantation near Savannah presents an opportunity for us to observe the colonists’ way of life and see demonstrations of the skills needed to face the challenges of settling the new colony. A “colonial lady” explains typical parts of her dress. Other colonists demonstrate how cypress shingles were made, fires started without matches, and how a flintlock gun was fired. Life in colonial Georgia does not appear to be easy.
Teacher tip: After viewing this segment, read the description of Georgia again from Oglethorpe’s A New and Accurate Account of the Provinces of South Carolina and Georgia and ask students to write a more accurate description of the colony.