Final answer:
The last English colony to be established on the East Coast was Georgia, in 1732. It served as a strategic buffer between the British colonies and Spanish-controlled Florida and was also a haven for the deserving poor of England.
Step-by-step explanation:
Georgia: The Last English Colony on the East Coast
The last English colony to form on the East Coast was Georgia. Established in 1732, Georgia served not only as a strategic buffer zone but also as a new beginning for the "deserving poor" of England. The colony came into being as British settlements expanded, encountering the influences of the Spanish in Florida and the French in the Mississippi Valley. Georgia's establishment generated a protective barrier between British territories and Spanish Florida, and was partly founded to reinforce British control in the region through increased settlement and political presence.
James Oglethorpe, an English politician and social reformer, played a pivotal role in the founding of Georgia. His vision for the colony included offering an alternative to debtor's prisons, creating a refuge for individuals deemed "worthy poor". This intention reflected a more humanitarian aspect of the colony's purpose. By the time Georgia was established, the stage was set for growing tensions between the colonies and the British Crown, eventually leading to the American Revolutionary War and the independence of the thirteen colonies.