James Edward Oglethorpe (1696-1785), a British humanitarian, leader, and military commander credited as the founder of Georgia, created a city plan for Savannah that was later adapted for Brunswick and included ample public green space, a legacy that survives in Brunswick’s public squares. In the early 18th century, while serving in the House of Commons, he led Parliament’s Prison Discipline Committee in 1729 to investigate claims of widespread prison abuse, helping bring sweeping prison reform and deepening his concern about poverty. By 1730, the British Crown had chosen the area south of Carolina for a military outpost and buffer against Spain and France and for its natural resources, while Oglethorpe saw Georgia as a place where land ownership could help prevent poverty and where persecuted Protestants could find refuge. With 21 others, he petitioned King George II to create the Trustees for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in America, and the petition was granted in 1732. Appointed General by the King, Oglethorpe became Georgia’s first Governor and pursued a distinctive vision for the colony by prohibiting strong distilled liquor, forbidding large landholdings, welcoming religious diversity, insisting on respectful and fair treatment of local Indians, and vigorously opposing slavery. His policies, especially his opposition to slavery, created resentment among colonists who defied his rules; he left the colony in 1743 and never returned, and slavery was officially permitted in Georgia in 1750. In 1771, Brunswick, Georgia, was laid out according to the Oglethorpe Plan, with a grid of 14 large and small squares intended as permanent park-like common areas, and the squares still retain their original names that reflect Brunswick’s historic ties to England.