Philanthropy as politics: The precolonial Georgia project for a new start in life for England's poor

Abstract

A fully-funded philanthropic economic project in precolonial Georgia was proclaimed as providing a new start in life for England's poor. The project has been praised for altruism and for being socially progressive through equal land assignment and prohibition of slavery. The project failed as an economic venture but was successful in providing the foundation for Georgia eventually becoming a possession of the British crown. I adopt a political-economy perspective to investigate whether the philanthropic project was a façade for political intent.