What term described the people in debtor's prison whom James Oglethorpe believed could become farmers and businessmen in Georgia?

• A. Debtor's Prisoners
• B. Worthy Poor
• C. Indentured Servants
• D. Yeoman Class

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how people in poverty could be viewed as worthy of a second chance. James Oglethorpe believed that debtors in prison weren’t beyond help and could become productive farmers and merchants if given opportunity in a new colony. He used the term “worthy poor” to describe those who had the ability and willingness to work and improve their situation. This distinguished them from others and justified offering them land and a fresh start in Georgia, turning hardship into a chance to contribute to the colony’s growth. The other terms don’t fit that hopeful, reform-minded classification: debtor’s prisoners simply states their situation; indentured servants refers to a labor relationship, not a category of reformable debtors; and yeoman class is a general social rank, not the specific label Oglethorpe used for these reformable debtors.