1. LAND FEVER IN GEORGIA  After the Revolutionary War, GA gained access to the land of those who sided with the British.  War veterans and political leaders believed that all citizens had the right to land ownership.  What was the best way to allocate the land to the people of the state?

2. LAND LOTTERIES: WHAT WAS IT?  8 land lotteries – Citizens could purchase a ticket and enter for a chance to win land in Georgia.

3. WHO WAS ABLE TO GAIN LAND?  Any average Georgian was able to gain a large amount of land.  They would submit their name to the state and pay for a ticket.  They could have their name submitted more times based on their age, marital status, and war service.

4. HOW MUCH LAND WAS GIVEN?  These lotteries gave 3 quarters of Georgia’s land to 100,000 different families.

5. LOUISVILLE  What is it? – The 3 rd capital of Georgia. It was located in the center of Georgia’s population, which had moved further west.  Why did they think it would be a successful capital? – Georgia wanted the new capital to serve as a trading epicenter because of its location on the Ogeechee River.

6. LOUISVILLE: WHY WASN’T IT SUCCESSFUL?  Malaria outbreak.  Trouble navigating the Ogeechee River as a trading post.  People were moving further northwest.

7. THE HEADRIGHT SYSTEM: WHAT WAS IT?  White males counted as a “head” of the family and had the right to receive up to 1,000 acres.

8. WHO WAS ABLE TO GAIN LAND?  White males, 21+ years old were able to gain up to 200 acres of land.  Men who had families or slaves could receive even more.  They also gave land to men who fought in the Revolutionary War (ex: Austin Dabney).

9. YAZOO ACT/LAND FRAUD  What was it? 4 land companies bribed members of the General Assembly to pass a bill where land would be sold to the land companies for $500,000.

10. WHY DID PEOPLE PROTEST?  The public found out and protests broke out all over the state.  They were angered the land was being sold.  Citizens wanted the legislators to resign.

11. RESULTS OF YAZOO LAND FRAUD  Since the public was so angered by the Yazoo Act, they voted the legislators out of office.  The new legislators who were voted into office repealed the law and burned all records of the sale.

12. RESULTS OF YAZOO LAND FRAUD  Many people had bought land from the land companies and wanted to keep their land.  Georgia basically “gave” the land to the US government for $1.25 million.  Georgia paid $4 million to the land buyers that were victims of the fraud.