Hallmark Hall of Fame
Crusade to Liberty
S3 • E15 Jan 10, 1954 2h
James Edward Oglethorpe fought a single-handed battle against the debtor prisons of England. In 1732, Oglethorpe fights a losing battle for the freedom of all unfortunate Englishmen rotting in jail because they owe money. Oglethorpe conceives a plan of starting a colony, to be made up of freed debtors, in the new world. Eventually, a boatload of debtors arrives at what Is later to become Georgia, but warlike Indians imperil the beleaguered band. When his fiancee, Anne Dabney, is murdered by the Indians, Oglethorpe swears vengeance. However, calmer advice prevails, the colony is rebuilt and Oglethorpe becomes Georgia's first governor, outlawing jail terms for men in debt.
