A History of Misbehavior

Comprised of London's "deserving poor," the colony was filled with a good share of hard-drinking, rough-hewn souls and petty criminals. Pickpockets, prostitutes, pirates, and everyday scoundrels walked the Savannah streets, where they were surrounded by dangerous swamps and skulking Spanish spies from Florida.

There was courtroom drama, with untrained judges and reluctant juries. Defendants were left to fend for themselves, as no lawyers were allowed in colonial Georgia. Torture devices were used often, as both a means of punishment and a form of entertainment for onlookers.

Discover everyday life in early Savannah:

• The first courts were run by three magistrates, who indulged in their own share of bad behavior.
• The colony store inventory included a belly band for criminals, as well as deer suet and dried apples.
• A murder at nearby Fort Argyle involved a macabre beheading.
• Murderous sailors were hanged, pirate style, on River Street.

Using colonial court records, diaries, and journal entries, A History of Misbehavior provides entertaining vignettes and fascinating episodes from Colonial Georgia.