| Sumario: | This article focuses on the life, legacy, and historiography of James Edward Oglethorpe, the British military officer and philanthropist who co-founded the colony of Georgia in 1733. It highlights Oglethorpe’s role in establishing Georgia as a refuge for the "worthy poor," his leadership in the colony’s early development, and his interactions with Indigenous peoples and colonial powers. The article also addresses common misconceptions about Oglethorpe, such as his being the sole founder or governor of Georgia, and explores the evolution of scholarly interpretations of his life from early celebratory biographies to more critical and nuanced recent studies. Despite his significant contributions, Oglethorpe lacks a comprehensive modern biography, a gap attributed to sparse personal documentation and the complexity of his transatlantic career, which spans British and American colonial history as well as Atlantic World contexts. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing scholarly interest in Oglethorpe and the need for a definitive biography, especially in anticipation of Georgia’s tricentennial in 2033.
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