Cannon along the river at Fort Frederica. June 25, 2008.
After visiting Epworth By The Sea on St. Simons Island, Betsy and I drove to Fort Frederica National Monument, also on the island.
The town of Frederica was founded by General James Oglethorpe in 1736, three years after the founding of the Georgia colony at Savannah. In the 1730s Great Britain was engaged in a struggle with Spain for land in what is now the southeastern United States. Both countries claimed the land between St. Augustine (held by the Spanish) and Charleston (held by the British). The British founded Georgia to serve as a buffer along their southern frontier.
In 1736 Oglethorpe landed on St. Simons Island with 44 men (mostly skilled workers) and 72 women and children. Their first task was to build a fort to command the river, but they then built the town of Frederica. By the 1740s Frederica was a tsubstantial village of about 500 people which would easily fit in the English midlands.
War broke out between Spain and Great Britain in 1739. In 1742 the Spanish invaded St. Simons and got to within sight of Frederica, but were beaten back. Later that same day the British won a decisive victory against the Spanish at Bloody Marsh and the Spanish left the island within a week.
Peace brought about the fairly rapid decline of Frederica as soldiers were no longer stationed in the town. The town survived a fire in 1758, but fell into ruin soon thereafter.
To see more of our trip to Frederica click HERE.
Tags: History, St. Simons, Travel
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