In parts of the German-speaking lands, Protestants were persecuted by Catholic authorities, and many left for America seeking religious freedom.

That situation probably caused the 56-year-old Hans Michel to take, in late April 1744, his wife and four of their children on the arduous and dangerous voyage to seek a new life in America.

The Judith was in danger of not making the trip safely for death and illness left no one skilled at navigating a ship on the high seas.

Bartholomäus Zuberbühler, who had no prior experience sailing, used his knowledge of geometry to figure out how to navigate the Judith safely to Georgia.

However, Boltzius found it difficult to arrange for permission for Treutlen's attendance at the school because of Clara's history of abandoned husbands, children born out of wedlock, and Catholicism.

This story avoids many of the facts of Hans Michel's and Clara's lives together that people of the 18th century may have found disagreeable.

However, marriage, birth, and other documents, which were recently discovered in Europe, have provided a more accurate picture of the Treutlens' European origins and their voyage to America.

He did extremely well in his studies at Ebenezer and acquired a broad education in a wide variety of subjects in Latin, French, German, and English.

As an adult, he was described as a man who possessed "an enlightened reason, Adam's natural intelligence and ability to give a name to every animal, knowledge of the laws of the land, and some discernment of practical religion."

He served as Commissioner and Surveyor of Roads, and several terms in the 1770s as Ebenezer's representative in the Georgia Commons House of Assembly.

As a result, the constitution included such democratic provisions as virtually-universal suffrage and annual elections of office holders.

With the selection of Treutlen, Georgia chose a man who "possesses native intelligence" and could, under pressure, reply "coolly and laconically" to his political opponents and was thus well suited for the difficult task of leading the new state.

The conservatives opposed the democratic provisions of the new constitution that allowed many of those from the lower classes, with backgrounds like the former indentured servant Treutlen, to be elected to positions of power in the government.

In February 1777, the conservative Joseph Habersham killed the radical Lieutenant Nathaniel Hughes in a dispute at the opening of the convention that was called to write Georgia's first constitution.

Thus, when John Houstoun was elected governor in January 1778, Treutlen dropped out of statewide politics and returned to Ebenezer to see what he could do to help the community and people that had provided him with so much during his three decades in America.

1., constituted in 1735 by the Grand Lodge of England, was founded in the Georgia Colony by the English Freemason James Oglethorpe on February 21, 1734.

Treutlen's name is listed on the Lodge's Masonic membership roles in 1779 along with Archibald Bulloch, George Walton, General Samuel Elbert and many other Georgia leaders of the Revolution.

[6] Late in 1781, Treutlen re-entered statewide politics as Ebenezer's elected representative to the Georgia Assembly.

[7] Some versions even place his death in South Carolina, not Georgia, and give a later date (late 1782 or early 1783), but there is no dispute that he died by some kind of mob violence.

Some contemporary accounts claimed Treutlen was killed by Tories angry about the American victory in the Revolutionary War.