When the royal governors arrived in Georgia, one of the significant changes was the shift in governance from a Trustee-led framework to a royal colony. The Trustees had established several rules designed to address issues such as land ownership, slavery, and the economy, which were meant to create a more idealistic society with opportunities for the working poor and prevent the emergence of a plantation economy.
Under the Trustees, there were restrictions in place, including limitations on land ownership, prohibiting individuals from owning more than a certain amount of land, and banning slavery. However, when the royal governors took charge in 1752, they began to rescind many of these regulations.
One of the most notable changes was the lifting of the restrictions on land ownership, allowing individuals to purchase larger tracts of land. This change encouraged the establishment of a plantation economy, which thrived on agriculture and, ultimately, the expansion of slavery.
With the new royal governance, slavery was also legalized in Georgia, allowing colonists to employ enslaved workers on their farms. This shift not only transformed the agricultural landscape of Georgia but also aligned the colony more closely with the practices of other Southern colonies, which relied heavily on slave labor to support their economies.