Kourtney Griffin - 34B Land Policies Independent Task PDF

PAGE 9 SS8H4B Land policies pursued by Georgia From colonial times until the mid-1800s, Georgia gained and distributed land that had belonged to the Cherokee and Creek Indians. During this period, the state sold or granted many acres of land through three main strategies: the headright system, the...

PAGE 9 SS8H4B Land policies pursued by Georgia From colonial times until the mid-1800s, Georgia gained and distributed land that had belonged to the Cherokee and Creek Indians. During this period, the state sold or granted many acres of land through three main strategies: the headright system, the Yazoo land sale, and the land lottery. The first way Georgia chose to give away the land was with the Headright System. Thousands of acres were given away to soldiers who had fought in the Revolutionary War. Also white men over the age of 21 had the right to land if they were the head of the household. Two hundred acres of land were given to heads of households. More was provided if the head of the household had a family or slaves. Farmers and ranchers soon took advantage of this system to obtain fertile farmland and grazing areas for their livestock. The Headright System ended because there were more people claiming land than there was land available. Directions: Use the textbox below to answer the following items in sentences: 1. Georgia gained and distributed land that had belonged which American Indian groups? Cherokee and creek indians 2. What are the names of the three ways the state sold or granted many acres of land? The headright system,the yazoo land sale,and the lottery 3. What was the first system of land distribution? The headright system 4. How many acres were given away to soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War? Thousands of acres of land 5. How old did the men have to be and what position did they need to have to be part of the Headright System? Had to be 21 or over and the head of the household 6. How much land was given to the head of the household under the Headright System? Two hundred acres of land 7. Why did the Headright System end? Because there were more people claiming land then there was land available  PAGE 10 SS8H4B Land policies pursued by Georgia Weakened by the Revolutionary War, the government of Georgia was not strong enough to defend settlements in the western part of the state. At the time, Georgia’s boundaries stretched west to the Mississippi River and included present-day Alabama and Mississippi. Leaders thought they had found a solution to the problem with the Yazoo Land Sale of 1795. The second land policy was known as the Yazoo Act, named after the Yazoo River. In this plan, the government would sell thirty-five million acres of land near the Yazoo River to four companies for $500,000. In return for this cheap land, the companies would establish a presence there that would help keep the frontier safe. Settlers would be more likely to move to western Georgia if the area was secure and had the jobs and products that the companies offered. Georgia’s governor, George Matthews, signed the Yazoo Act on January 7th, 1795. The plan backfired. Many important legislators were bribed in exchange for their support of the Yazoo Act. Shocked Georgians protests in the streets and collected signatures on petitions that opposed the sale by the government. Despite the public outcry, the sale was completed. Senator James Jackson of Georgia resigned his seat over the deal. He returned home and set out reverse the sale. Jackson and allies were soon voted back into office. They used their control of the legislature to pass the Rescinding Act of 1796, which repealed the original sale. Directions: Use the textbox below to answer the following items in sentences: 1. What was the name of the second Land Policy AND why was it named that? Yazoo act 2. Who sold thirty-five million acres of land near the Yazoo River to four companies for $500,000? The government 3. Who signed the Yazoo Act on January 7th, 1795? Georgia's government george matthews 4. Who were bribed in exchange for their support of the Yazoo Act? Important legislators 5. How did the Georgian’s respond to the Yazoo Act AND what did they do? Shocked georgians protested in the streets 6. What was the name of the senator of Georgia who resigned his seat over the deal and then returned home and set out reverse the sale? Senator james jackson  PAGE 11 SS8H4B Land policies pursued by Georgia After the disaster of what became known as the Yazoo land fraud, the state of Georgia implemented a lottery system to determine who could buy land. From 1805-1833, a final approach was used to distribute land to Georgians. The lottery approach was used to offer land for a cheap price. A person’s age, war service, marital status, and years of residence in Georgia were all factors that determined who was eligible for the land lottery. The land lottery was basically a system under which ordinary and less wealthy Georgians could purchase cheap land and was restricted to white men, orphans, and widows. Interested Georgians would purchase a ticket. The name of the ticket owner would be placed in a barrel. Land lot numbers were placed in a second barrel. Additional entries were provided depending on age, marital status, and service in the war. A hundred thousand families would benefit from the land lotteries which gave away about three-fourths of Georgia’s land. Directions: Use the textbox below to answer the following items in sentences: 1. What was the next Land Policy after the disaster of what became known as the Yazoo land fraud? Lottery system 2. What approach was used to offer land for a cheap price? The lottery 3. What were all factors that determined who was eligible for the land lottery? A person age and war service marital status and years of residence in georgia 4. Under the Lottery System, who could purchase cheap land? Ordinary and less wealthy georgians 5. Who would purchase tickets? Interested georgians 6. How many families would benefit from the land lotteries AND how much of Georgia’s land was given out? A hundred thousand families and they gave a way three-fourths of georgia’s land  PAGE 12 SS8H4B Land policies pursued by Georgia HeadRight System An approach to land ownership to give the head of a family 200 acres to free land in the Georgia frontier. Thousands of acres were given away to soldiers who had fought in the Revolutionary War. Also white men over the age of 21 had the right to land if they were the head of the household. Two hundred acres of land were given to heads of households. More was provided if the head of the household had a family or slaves. Farmers and ranchers soon took advantage of this system to obtain fertile farmland and grazing areas for their livestock. 4  PAGE 13 SS8H4B Land policies pursued by Georgia Yazoo Land Fraud An event where land companies bribed Georgia leaders to sell large lots of land for low prices. The second land policy was known as the Yazoo Act, named after the Yazoo River. In this plan, the government would sell thirty-five million acres of land near the Yazoo River to four companies for $500,000. In return for this cheap land, the companies would establish a presence there that would help keep the frontier safe. The plan backfired. Many important legislators were bribed in exchange for their support of the Yazoo Act. 5 5  PAGE 14 SS8H4B Land policies pursued by Georgia Land Lottery An approach to land ownership offering average Georgians the opportunity to take a chance at owning land for pennies per acre. The lottery approach was used to offer land for a cheap price. A person’s age, war service, marital status, and years of residence in Georgia were all factors that determined who was eligible for the land lottery. The land lottery was basically a system under which ordinary and less wealthy Georgians could purchase cheap land and was restricted to white men, orphans, and widows. 6 6