The Southern Homestead Act of 1866 is a United States federal law enacted to break a cycle of debt during the Reconstruction following the American Civil War. Prior to this act, blacks and whites alike were having trouble buying land. Sharecropping and tenant farming had become ways of life. This act attempted to solve this by selling land at low prices so Southerners could buy it. Many people, however, could still not participate because the low prices were still too high.[1]
A "Second Freedmen's Bureau bill" was introduced December 5, 1865, but was vetoed and weakened before eventually overriding a second veto by president Andrew Johnson. Championed by General Oliver O. Howard, chief of the Freedmen's Bureau, and with support from Thaddeus Stevens and William Fessenden, the Southern Homestead Act was proposed to Congress, and eventually passed, and signed into law by President Andrew Johnson on June 21, 1866, going into effect immediately. The Southern Homestead Act opened up 46,398,544.87 acres (about 46 million acres or 190,000 km2) of public land for sale in the Southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The land was initially in parcels of 80-acre (0.32 km2) (half-quarter section) until June 1868, and thereafter parcels of 160-acre (0.65 km2) (quarter section, or one quarter of a square mile), and homesteaders were required to occupy and improve the land for five years before acquiring full ownership.
Until January 1, 1867, the bill specified, only free Blacks and White Unionists would be allowed access to these lands.[2] Accordingly, the primary beneficiaries for the first six months were freedmen who were in desperate need of land to till. However, the law encountered many obstacles, notably: Southern bureaucrats often did not comply with the law or with the orders of the Freedmen's Bureau, notably not informing blacks of their opportunity to acquire land;[3] violence from competing whites; poor quality of the land; and poverty of the farmers who were often unable to effectively use the land without further money to invest.
Ultimately, before too much land was distributed, the law was repealed in June 1876.[4] Nevertheless, free Blacks entered about 6,500 claims to homesteads, and about 1,000 of these eventually resulted in property certificates.[5]
Gates, Paul Wallace (1940). "Federal Land Policy in the South 1866-1888". The Journal of Southern History. 6 (3): 303–330. doi:10.2307/2192139. JSTOR 2192139.
Oubre, Claude F. Forty Acres and a Mule: The Freedmen's Bureau and Black Land Ownership. Louisiana State University Press, 1978.
December 14, 2023
southern, homestead, 1866, more, context, forty, acres, mule, united, states, federal, enacted, break, cycle, debt, during, reconstruction, following, american, civil, prior, this, blacks, whites, alike, were, having, trouble, buying, land, sharecropping, tena. For more context see Forty acres and a mule The Southern Homestead Act of 1866 is a United States federal law enacted to break a cycle of debt during the Reconstruction following the American Civil War Prior to this act blacks and whites alike were having trouble buying land Sharecropping and tenant farming had become ways of life This act attempted to solve this by selling land at low prices so Southerners could buy it Many people however could still not participate because the low prices were still too high 1 Contents 1 Legislative history 2 See also 3 References 4 Further readingLegislative history editA Second Freedmen s Bureau bill was introduced December 5 1865 but was vetoed and weakened before eventually overriding a second veto by president Andrew Johnson Championed by General Oliver O Howard chief of the Freedmen s Bureau and with support from Thaddeus Stevens and William Fessenden the Southern Homestead Act was proposed to Congress and eventually passed and signed into law by President Andrew Johnson on June 21 1866 going into effect immediately The Southern Homestead Act opened up 46 398 544 87 acres about 46 million acres or 190 000 km2 of public land for sale in the Southern states of Alabama Arkansas Florida Louisiana and Mississippi The land was initially in parcels of 80 acre 0 32 km2 half quarter section until June 1868 and thereafter parcels of 160 acre 0 65 km2 quarter section or one quarter of a square mile and homesteaders were required to occupy and improve the land for five years before acquiring full ownership Until January 1 1867 the bill specified only free Blacks and White Unionists would be allowed access to these lands 2 Accordingly the primary beneficiaries for the first six months were freedmen who were in desperate need of land to till However the law encountered many obstacles notably Southern bureaucrats often did not comply with the law or with the orders of the Freedmen s Bureau notably not informing blacks of their opportunity to acquire land 3 violence from competing whites poor quality of the land and poverty of the farmers who were often unable to effectively use the land without further money to invest Ultimately before too much land was distributed the law was repealed in June 1876 4 Nevertheless free Blacks entered about 6 500 claims to homesteads and about 1 000 of these eventually resulted in property certificates 5 See also editHomestead ActsReferences edit Paul Wallace Gates Federal Land Policy in the South 1866 1888 Journal of Southern History 1940 6 3 pp 303 330 in JSTOR Oubre Forty Acres and a Mule 1978 pp 86 87 Oubre Forty Acres and a Mule 1978 p 81 93 Paul W Gates Federal Land Policy in the South 1866 1888 Journal of Southern History 6 August 1940 310 315 Oubre Forty Acres and a Mule 1978 p 188 Further reading editGates Paul Wallace 1940 Federal Land Policy in the South 1866 1888 The Journal of Southern History 6 3 303 330 doi 10 2307 2192139 JSTOR 2192139 Oubre Claude F Forty Acres and a Mule The Freedmen s Bureau and Black Land Ownership Louisiana State University Press 1978 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Southern Homestead Act of 1866 amp oldid 1182702928, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
