The tall coastal pines yield lumber, which becomes a major export by the 1760's. One large consumer is the Caribbean Islands, whose sugar exports help pay for the lumber. When the Sugar Act is passed in 1764 Georgians appear concerned not with the tax, but with the sale of lumber to a major customer. The Stamp Act of 1765 brings the first true rift between loyalist and colonist in Georgia. England sees the colonies as a part of the mother country, populated by Englishmen, and Parliament serves all Englishmen, not just those in England.
Colonists see a mother country out of control.
Heady from the defeat of the Spanish and French, and recognized as the pre-eminent world power, the colonists see an England that begins to extract more from the colonies abroad and less from English at home. And the fact that the colonists, as loyal Englishmen, no longer enjoy the privilege of electing members of Parliament does not sit well with many men. Most colonists and many others around the world view King George III as incapable. GeorgiaTrails tells people where to go. All rights reserved.