Who were referred to as planters in Georgia?

The term "planters" in Georgia refers specifically to individuals who owned a substantial number of slaves, typically defined as those who owned 20 or more slaves. This classification highlights a significant socio-economic class in the state's agricultural system, particularly during the antebellum period when plantation agriculture, especially cotton farming, was a dominant economic force.

Planters played a critical role in the agricultural economy, owning large tracts of land and employing enslaved labor to maximize production. This ownership created a distinct social hierarchy within the state, separating the planters from smaller landowners and agricultural workers who had a different relationship to land and labor.

The other options do not capture the essence of who the planters were in this historical context. Individuals owning fewer than 5 slaves would not meet the criteria for being classified as a planter and were often more representative of smaller landholders. Agricultural workers without land were typically laborers, not owners, and thus would not fit into the planter category. The majority of Georgia's population included a mix of free people, enslaved individuals, and poorer white citizens, among others, and did not reflect the specific economic status associated with planters.