Final answer:
Colonial Georgians initially aimed to produce luxury goods but, due to unsuitable conditions, turned to trading cattle, timber, and goods from the Indian trade. Salted beef, pitch, and tar were staples, and they also engaged in the heavily taxed export of rice, indigo, and naval stores as part of the triangular trade system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The earliest products that colonial Georgians traded with European markets primarily included cattle, timber, and items from the Indian trade.
Initially, Georgia's founders envisioned a colony that would produce luxury goods like silk from mulberry trees and wine; however, these plans were impeded by unsuitable conditions and other challenges.
Colonists found the soil of the coastal region unfavorable for wine, and producing enough food was already difficult, let alone luxury goods. Thus, they shifted their focus to more practicable and resource-driven trade such as cattle, which they grazed both on their own and unclaimed land.
Salted beef became a staple food product, and timber was used for both firewood and manufacturing products like pitch and tar. The Indian trade also flourished as Augusta became a central hub for these exchanges.
The Exportation Act of 1660 and the heavy taxation of these colonial products in England meant that, while Georgia produced essential goods like rice, indigo (used for making dye), and naval stores (such as masts, hemp, pitch, and turpentine), these were heavily taxed once they reached England, with proceeds going to the English government.
This economic dynamic was integral to the triangular trade system, which included trading with the Caribbean colonies where goods like rice, indigo, and salt pork from Georgia were exchanged for slaves.