Which notable figure served as the founder of Savannah?

The founder of Savannah is James Oglethorpe, who established the city in 1733 as part of his vision for the Georgia colony. Oglethorpe was a social reformer and member of the British Parliament who sought to create a new settlement for debtors and the poor. He aimed to provide them with a fresh start in the New World. Savannah was strategically designed as a planned city with wide streets, public squares, and a grid-like structure, representing Oglethorpe's progressive ideas about urban living and community.

Oglethorpe's work was critical not only in the founding of the city itself but also in shaping the colony of Georgia. He wanted the colony to serve as a buffer between the British colonies to the north and Spanish Florida, while also wanting to establish it as a place of humane treatment for those who had fallen on hard times. This comprehensive approach to settlement and community development was groundbreaking for the time.

In contrast, Hernando de Soto was an early Spanish explorer known for his expeditions in the Americas, which occurred in the 16th century, long before the establishment of Savannah. James Wright, who is also listed among the choices, was a later royal governor of Georgia after Oglethorpe, and