Savannah

Savannah was founded in 1733 by General James E. Oglethorpe in his newly created colony of Georgia - the first town in North America to be laid out on a regular plan. It developed into the leading port for the shipment of cotton and was thus a place of strategic importance in the Civil War. It was badly damaged during the war, but when it was taken by General Sherman's Union troops in December 1864 it was not set on fire but was preserved intact as a Christmas gift to President Lincoln. It has thus one of the largest historic districts in the United States, which with its green streets and shady squares carries visitors back to the great days of the south.