Tomochichi, Mary Musgrove
and James Oglethorpe:
Three people who showed what
can be accomplished using
cooperation
Colleen McNamara
June 2012
Foreword
• When the first Europeans came to what
we now call Georgia, the area was
already populated with several tribes of
native people including the Cherokee,
Creek, and Muskogee.
• Let’s find out how three important
people were able to begin the successful
settlement that became our state of
Georgia!
Tomochichi
• When the English decided
to settle the area that is
now Georgia, the Creek
Indians already lived there.
• Tomochichi, who was a
Creek Indian, was the chief
of his own tribe, called the
Yamacraw Indians.
• Tomochichi and his tribe
lived alongside the
Savannah River, near the
coast of Georgia.
Mary Musgrove
• Mary’s father was an
English trader and her
mother was a Creek
Indian, so she learned to
speak two languages.
• After marrying, Mary and
her husband opened a
trading post near present
day Savannah.
 Mary was born
in the 1690’s
near Macon.
 Mary’s Indian
name is
Coosaponakee
sa.
 She was
educated in
Charleston,
South Carolina
James Oglethorpe
• James was born into a
wealthy family in
England.
• At that time, if
someone owed money,
they could be put into
debtor’s prison until
the debt was paid.
• Oglethorpe worked to
reform the prisons
Founding Georgia
• James Oglethorpe and
a group of his friends
decided to ask the King
to found a colony.
• They would make a
place for debtors to
start a new life.
• In 1733, Oglethorpe
and 120 colonists
arrived on the coast
and named the colony
after their
king…Georgia.
Mary Musgrove’s role
• James Oglethorpe spoke
only English and
Tomachichi spoke only
Creek.
• Because Mary Musgrove
spoke the languages of
the Creek and the
English settlers, she was
able to translate at
meetings between the
two leaders.
Tomochichi’s role
• Tomochichi, the Creek
chief wanted to be
friends with the English.
• He gave permission for
Oglethorpe to settle in
the area now known as
Savannah.
• Tomochichi and his
tribe traded with the
settlers. The Indians
gave the settlers food
and the settlers gave
the Indians metal tools
and cloth.
James Oglethorpe’s role
• James Oglethorpe was
the first governor of
Georgia.
• He was friendly with the
Indian tribes of Georgia.
• He traded with the
Choctaw, the Creek and
the Cherokee Indians.
• He said that people
could not own slaves.
Things to think about…
• Why did the Indians want to be friends
with Oglethorpe and the settlers?
• What might have happened if they were
not friends?
• What might have happened if Mary
Musgrove was not there?
Sources
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ia/books/bke/biographies/bk_template.jsp?name=tomochi&
bk=bke&authorname=tomochi&state=ia
http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/tdgh-jul/jul08.htm
http://www.georgiahistory.com/containers/306
http://www.gpb.org/georgiastories
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ia/books/bke/biographies/bk_template.jsp?name=ogletho&
bk=bke
http://ushistoryimages.com/james-oglethorpe.shtm
http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/tdgh-jan/jan22.htm
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/mt/books/bke/biographies/bk_template.jsp?name=ogletho
&bk=bke
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rwyVOkhfH-mnlO6mJO8l2Bw=&docid=bZJPxIkw02x5CM&sa=X&ei=FwEnUKTwDoio8QSKqYCoDg&ved=0CHIQ9QEwBA&dur=9761