1733 Establishment of Colony of GEORGIA in America, Last Original Colonies.
London: John Baskett, 1733. Folio, disbound; pp. (i), 443-455 [8 leaves].
The earliest official printing of the act "for establishing the colony of Georgia in America," the last of the original thirteen colonies.This act authorized a grant of £10,000 "for establishing the colony of Georgia in America, to be applied toward defraying the charges of carrying over and settling foreign and other Protestants in the said colony" (p. 448). The creation of a haven for Protestants was, of course, an abiding interest of England; it was especially important in this case because the colony was intended to counter-balance Catholic Spain's colony in Florida. The funds were allocated to the colony's trustees, who had been given the original grant of land between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers earlier in 1732. They hoped to create a self-sufficient colony made up of compact villages and yeoman farmers. This act represents the first of many financial contributions to the trustees. The trustees soon abandoned yeomanry, however, and embraced black slavery. This act, in fact, also authorizes funding for the protection of the stations of the Royal African Company which would supply slaves (p. 451). Printed in black letter. This copy is from the Sessional Volumes of Parliament, the earliest official printings available. Acts printed prior to 1796 are extremely scarce, since the maximum number printed "only slightly exceeded 1,100 copies," and those were distributed solely to Members of the Houses of Parliament, the great officers and offices of state, and the judiciary (see Report of the Committee for the Promulgation of the Statutes, 1796). Not in Sabin, Howes, Rich, Church, or Streeter. Fine condition. Item #100178
Price: $1,100.00