Who were the Malcontents?

The word Malcontent means in a bad mood or unhappy. The Malcontents were unhappy with James Oglethorpe and the Trustees. Soon after the first colonists arrived in Georgia, they began to voice displeasure with the rules established by James Oglethorpe and the Trustees. These dissenters became known as the "Malcontents." Most of the Malcontents were individuals who had paid their own way to the colony and were not financially obligated to the Trustees.

 

What did they want?

The Malcontents complained about the limits the Trustees placed on land. The Malcontents wanted the right to buy rum. Most importantly, the Malcontents wanted to end the ban on slavery. After over 10 years of Malcontent complaints, in 1751, the Trustees ended restrictions on land ownership. In 1751, they made slavery legal, which changed Georgia’s history for ever.