Final answer:
Georgia was different from the other colonies as it was the last to be founded, served as a buffer zone, and had social goals such as providing refuge for the 'worthy poor'. It had a unique Trustee governance system and initially prohibited alcohol and slavery, but reverted to Crown control due to the Trustee system's ineffectiveness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The founding of the colony of Georgia was different from the other 12 colonies because it was the last colony to be established. Georgia served as a buffer zone between British settlements and Spanish Florida, and was founded as a Trustee colony with specific social goals. Its founder, James Oglethorpe, envisioned it as a place for the 'worthy poor' and an alternative to debtor's prison, which was unique among the colonies. Due to its later founding, Georgia had the shortest colonial period, the smallest population, and the least economic development of all the thirteen colonies.
It was strategically important to control this area to weaken Spanish influence, as evidenced by the War of Jenkins' Ear and subsequent British efforts to populate and politically control the territory. Legislation under the Georgia Charter provided for religious freedom for all Protestants and initially outlawed alcohol and slavery. However, the Trustee system responsible for these and other regulations was ultimately ineffective, leading to the Crown assuming control in 1752.