Land Distribution Headright System and Yazoo Land Fraud

The Headright System Under the headright system, each “head” of household had a “right” to a certain amount of land. The head of a family was entitled to 200 acres of unclaimed land. 50 additional acres were granted for each family member and slave. Up to 1000 acres could be held by one family.

The benefits of military service Under the headright system, veterans of the American Revolution received additional land to compensate them for their service to the country. High ranking generals received an additional 1,955 acres. Privates received an additional 288 acres.

Plats A plat is a map of a land lot. Plats of the headright days show that properties were a mix of irregular shapes. Who determined the shape of a headright’s land?

Headright System (summary) What? System to give away land to heads of households and Revolutionary War veterans  How much? 200-1000 acres per family PLUS additional land for war veterans  When? 1733-around 1800 (officially 1790 but continued even until 1908) Where? Eastern Georgia (east of the Oconee River) Who? White male heads of household and war veterans Effects on Georgia: population growth; increase in agriculture; developed land; Native Americans lose land; increase in slavery

Yazoo Land Fraud In 1795, four companies bribed many members of the General Assembly to pass a special law. This law allowed the companies to buy 35 million acres of land along the Yazoo River, in Georgia’s western frontier. Much of what is now Alabama and Mississippi was sold to these companies for less than 2-cents per acre!

The bargain land was then sold to the public at a huge profit The bargain land was then sold to the public at a huge profit. Some of the land was sold to other companies, and some to innocent citizens who planned to move to the frontier. When people in Georgia heard of the land fraud, they demanded justice. Some legislators, fearing for their lives, fled the state. One legislator who vowed that he would repeal the act said he was “prepared to call out and shoot every person involved in passing the act.”

Aftermath Georgia asked the US Government to get involved. The Georgia legislature offered to pay the settlers and companies for the land that they purchased. (But some didn’t want to leave!) Georgia agreed to cede the land to the United States (for $1.25 million) The United States promised to remove all of the Indians so white settlers could move in.

Aftermath Voters voted out the corrupt legislators and elected new ones to clean up the mess. All copies of the “Yazoo Act” (except one) were gathered in front of the capital on February 21, 1796 and “consumed by Holy Fire from Heaven.” (with the help of a magnifying glass)

Aftermath Those people who didn’t want to give up their land and settlements took the case to the U.S. Supreme court. It was finally resolved in 1814 (19 years later) when the U.S. government took over the territory and paid the claims ($4 million) For decades afterwards, politicians used the government’s promise to remove the Indians as a political tool. Georgia’s western boundary became the Chattahoochee River.

Yazoo Land Fraud (summary) What? System to sell land members of General Assembly were bribed to sell land to 4 land companies for around 1½ cents an acre How much? 30-35 million acres ($500,000 for 35 million acres) When? 1794-1802 Where? Present day Alabama and Mississippi

YLF (continued) Who? Georgia legislators; 4 land companies who then sold it Effects on Georgia: Native Americans lose land Georgia lost territory – western boundary became the Chattahoochee River Georgia’s reputation was damaged federal government paid $4 million to settle claims and $1.25 million to purchase the disputed land U.S. promised to remove all Indians in Georgia’s remaining boundary legislators lost jobs new legislators repealed the Yazoo Land Act and burned documents in Louisville (with “fire from heaven”)