- Established in 1733, Georgia was the last of the original 13 colonies to be founded, and its population lagged behind those of the other colonies. Georgia's population was only about 3,500 in 1752 -- malaria and typhoid claimed many lives during Georgia's first three decades. However, Georgia's population grew to around 29,000 by 1773. The largest population centers, such as Savannah and Augusta, were along the Savannah River, near the border of South Carolina.
- Georgia was the southern boundary of the British American colonies, and was located immediately north of Spanish Florida. Conflict broke out between the two imperial colonies, and casualties first occurred on Georgia's soil during the Battle of Bloody Marsh in 1742. Georgia ultimately prevailed, thanks to fortifications such as Fort Frederica on St. Simon's Island. Furthermore, the northern and western parts of modern Georgia were inhabited by American Indians during the Colonial era. Most Georgia towns were concentrated along the Atlantic coast or along the Savannah River. Venturing into the wilderness sometimes resulted in attacks by Cherokee and Creek Indians.
- Slavery was initially forbidden in Colonial Georgia under strict orders from James Oglethorpe, who founded the first Georgia settlement at Savannah in 1733. Oglethorpe was a member of the board of trustees that governed Georgia until 1752. However, many colonists were not content with the strict laws imposed by Oglethorpe and felt that slave labor would make the colony more profitable. The trustees declared slavery legal in 1750, though it was a contentious issue among the colonists. The small coastal towns that were dominated by Scottish Highlanders were strongly opposed to slavery, while many in Savannah clamored for it.
- Colonial Georgia experienced immigration for many parts of Europe, and permitted any religious denomination except Catholicism. Anglicans, Lutherans, Quakers, Moravians, and Sephardic Jews were among the many disparate religious groups that settled in Georgia during the mid-1700s. In fact, sometimes this was the result of migrating from other American colonies instead of Europe. Slaves and American Indians further contributed to Georgia's diversity, and there are many records of English-speaking male colonists marrying Creek women.
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