Expansion Land Distribution Headright System What was it

Expansion: Land Distribution

Headright System What was it? This was used in colonial times through the 1790’s. Each time Native Americans ceded land to Georgia state officials had to decide what to do with it. Selling land could bring in money for roads, schools, and other services, but giving it away free encouraged population growth.

Headright System • The land was given away free to the head of each household • Each head of household received 200 acres (100 more than in colonial times) plus 50 additional acres per family member, servant, and slave • Limited to 1, 000 acres • Revolutionary War veterans were entitled to an additional 288 -1, 955 acres depending on rank

Headright System: Result Many new settlers rushed to Georgia for free land, increasing the population. How does this affect Georgia?

Yazoo Land Fraud (1795): What happened? • State leaders wanted to open up western lands (modern MS & AL) to white settlers. • Businessmen formed companies to buy up western lands in order to make huge profits. • These companies bribed GA legislators (this is illegal!) to pass a law allowing the companies to buy the western land for less than 2 cents an acre.

Yazoo Land Fraud • The companies made big profits, and the public was outraged. • The act was repealed. The document was burned in front of the state capital in Louisville using a magnifying glass.

Yazoo Land Fraud

Yazoo Land Fraud: “…with fire drawn from heaven by a magnifying lens. ”

Yazoo Land Fraud: Results • The U. S. government took over these lands (in exchange for $1. 25 million and a promise to remove more Indians) – later became MS and AL • Money was refunded by the U. S. government to those who purchased western lands. • By 1802 the borders of Georgia became what they are today (Chattahoochee River became the new western boundary).

Land Lotteries (1805 -1833) What were they? 1. Surveyors divided Creek and Cherokee lands in western and southern Georgia into square lots; 6 times 1805 -1833 1. The size of the lot varied according to the quality of the land 2. Lots ranged from 490 acres in the Pine Barrens (south GA) to 40 acres in the gold fields 2. Lotteries were held to award Georgians with (almost) free land 1. White males, at least 21 years old, lived at least 12 months in Georgia 2. If the man had a wife and child he got 2 chances 3. Widows and orphans also eligible

Land Lotteries (1805 -1833) The result? • Creeks and Cherokees gave up portions of their land over time, and any remaining were finally removed to Indian Territory in the 1830’s. • Georgia distributed over 30 million acres to more than 100, 000 white settlers

Cherokee Land Lottery