Final answer:
King George supported James Oglethorpe's plan because it was expected to alleviate prison overcrowding and poverty, serve as a strategic military buffer, and develop a self-sufficient colony that strengthened the British presence in America.
Step-by-step explanation:
King George supported James Oglethorpe's plan for a few reasons. Firstly, it helped alleviate the problem of overcrowding in British prisons. Secondly, the establishment of Georgia provided an alternative to debtor's prisons, which tied into the social reforms being considered at the time. Moreover, Georgia's founding also had strategic benefits as it served as a buffer to the Spanish interests in Florida, and the colonists could serve as a militia. More broadly, the idea fitted the ideals of the Age of Reason, aiming to create a society of productive smallholding farmers, which would in time become self-sufficient and strengthen Britain's economic and military presence in the American colonies.
While Oglethorpe's plan for Georgia did not initially envision the colonists becoming indebted for their passage, it became a reality as adults typically served terms of five years as indentured servants, and children could be bound for even longer. Despite these issues, the colony was of strategic importance to Great Britain and supported its imperial interests in America.
Therefore, the answer would be: D) King George believed it would help strengthen the British presence in the American colonies.