Georgia Land Lotteries

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The Land Lottery display at New Echota, former capital of the Cherokee nation. Landlottery.JPG
The Land Lottery display at New Echota, former capital of the Cherokee nation.

The Georgia land lotteries were an early nineteenth century system of land redistribution in Georgia. Under this system, various categories of persons (depending upon the specific lottery year) could register for a chance to win lots of land that had been appropriated by the State of Georgia or the Federal government from the Muscogee and the Cherokee Nation. [1] [2] The lottery system was utilized by the State of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 “to strengthen the state and increase the population in order to increase Georgia's power in the House of Representatives.” [3] Although some other states used land lotteries, none were implemented at the scale of the Georgia contests. [4]

Contents

Land areas

Land lots were surveyed in five different sizes based on the perceived quality of the land. In 1805, land lots were 202.5 acres (0.8 km2) and 490 acres (2.0 km2). In 1807, land lots were 202.5 acres (0.8 km2). In 1820, land lots were 250 acres (1.0 km2) and 490 acres (2.0 km2). In 1821, land lots were 202.5 acres (0.8 km2). In the 1832 Land Lottery area, land lots were 160 acres (0.6 km2), while in the 1832 Gold Lottery area, land lots were 40 acres (0.2 km2).

History of system

Prior to 1803, Georgia distributed land via a headright system. Though designed to prohibit corruption, the system actually encouraged it. During early administration, the government abused this system and created what today is generally known as the Yazoo land scandal. [5] The much-abused "headright" system resulted in the adoption of the lottery system in May 1803, under governor John Milledge. The first lottery occurred in 1805. For each person subscribing to a lottery, a ticket was placed in the barrel or wheel. Since each lottery was over-subscribed, tickets were added to compensate for the over-subscription.

1830 map of the Cherokee Nation. Cherokeenation1830map.jpg
1830 map of the Cherokee Nation.

In October 1831, Georgia voters went to the polls to vote between Governor George Gilmer who wished to reserve the Cherokee land, which contained several gold mines, for the State of Georgia, in order to pay for government projects and reduce taxes, and Wilson Lumpkin, who strongly supported giving away the lands (in what would become the State's last three land lotteries).

Forced relocation of Muscogee and Cherokee peoples

Grant issued to a drawer in the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832, which dispersed the former Cherokee property among the white settlers in Georgia. CherokeeLotteryLandDeed.jpg
Grant issued to a drawer in the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832, which dispersed the former Cherokee property among the white settlers in Georgia.

In an effort to keep their ancestral lands, certain Cherokees (and other interested parties)including John Ross, Samuel Worcester and Major Ridge took their fight against the State of Georgia to the United States Supreme Court. There were two major cases heard by the Court during the years of 1831 through 1832: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia . Although the U.S. Supreme Court initially ruled against the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia , the U.S. Supreme Court later granted sovereignty in Worcester v. Georgia , resulting in the invalidation of the Indian Removal Act . U.S. President Andrew Jackson and the State of Georgia chose instead to ignore the Supreme Court ruling, a clearly unconstitutional action at least since the 1803 ruling in Marbury v. Madison . [6] [ circular reference ] Georgia continued its surveying and division of the Cherokee lands through the final "1832 Land and Gold Lotteries.” President Jackson utilized the U.S. Army, forcing the removal of the Cherokees. [7] This was part of the “Trail of Tears,” which modern historians consider an ethnic cleansing or genocide. [8]

A volunteer soldier from Georgia who participated in the removal recounted:

I fought through the civil war and have seen men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands, but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew. [9]

Speculation

Land speculation in the lotteries was common, many lots were sold sight-unseen by the winners for other lots or for gold. Real estate agents, individual citizens and even unscrupulous lottery officials attempted to secure promising gold belt lots or valuable Cherokee plantation lots. During the 1832 Lottery alone, some 85,000 people competed for 18,309 land lots to be given away, and at least 133,000 people competed for 35,000 gold belt lots to be given away.

During the 28 years that the State of Georgia used the lottery system, the rules and the methods of the system remained virtually unchanged. Lottery fees depended on the winning ticket and the size of the lot won, but in general, they only covered the cost of running the lottery. The State did not directly profit from allocating these lands. Fractional lots were sold in each of the lotteries, and some lands, especially those near major rivers, were exempt from the lottery. These were distributed by the State at public auctions.

Lotteries

  1. 1805 Land Lottery — This encompassed Muscogee lands just west of the Oconee River ceded to the state in 1802 and a small strip of land in the southeast section of the state, in Baldwin, Wayne, and Wilkinson counties.
  2. 1807 Land Lottery — Included additional Muscogee lands in Baldwin County and Wilkinson County.
  3. 1820 Land Lottery — After the Creek War (1813–1814), President Jackson demanded from the Muscogee an immense area of land which would become the southern third of the entire state of Georgia. A second section of land in northeast Georgia was included. This other, smaller section defined the eastern end of the Cherokee Nation for 12 years. Land was taken in Appling, Early, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Irwin, Rabun, and Walton counties.
  4. 1821 Land Lottery — Further Muscogee cessions which included the future site of Atlanta. Land was taken in Dooly, Fayette, Henry, Houston, and Monroe counties.
  5. 1827 Land Lottery — Signaled the end of the Muscogee presence in Georgia. Land was taken in Carroll, Coweta, Lee, Muscogee, and Troup counties.
  6. 1832 Land Lottery — This lottery, along with the 1832 Gold Lottery, gave the Cherokee Nation to Georgia settlers, sparking the "Trail of Tears." Land was confiscated in Cass (renamed Bartow), Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, and Union counties.
  7. 1832 Gold Lottery — By the time of the gold lottery the Georgia Gold Rush was already beginning to wind down. The state did not guarantee that gold existed on the lots given away.
  8. 1833 Fractions Lottery — The State of Georgia held one final land lottery in December, 1833, to distribute fractions from the Cherokee territory and other remaining lots not drawn in previous lotteries.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Lottery of 1832</span> State of Georgia lottery, 1805–1833

The Gold Lottery of 1832 was the seventh lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the State of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to redistribute annexed Cherokee land. It was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by an act of December 24, 1831 a few years after the start of the Georgia Gold Rush. The act specified that approximately one third of the 160-acre (0.65 km2) land districts to be distributed by lottery under the act of December 21, 1830, be designated as gold districts of 40 acres (160,000 m2) each and to be distributed in a separate lottery. The drawings for the Gold Lottery of 1832 occurred between October 22, 1832 and May 1, 1833 and applied to land that had been owned by the Cherokee Nation.

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The 1805 Land Lottery was the first lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the U.S. state of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to appropriate the Cherokee and Muscogee land. The lottery was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by an act of May 11, 1803, with drawings occurring in 1805. The lottery redistributed land in Baldwin, Wayne, and Wilkinson counties. 490-acre plots were redistributed in Wayne County and 202.5-acre plots were redistributed in Baldwin and Wilkinson counties.

The 1807 Land Lottery was the second lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the U.S. state of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to appropriate and redistribute Cherokee and Muscogee land. The 1807 lottery was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by an act of June 26, 1806. The lottery redistributed land in Baldwin and Wilkinson counties. 202.5 acre lots were redistributed in both counties. Registrations for the lottery took place between June 26 and September 26, 1806, with drawings occurring between August 10 and September 23, 1807. Fortunate drawers from the previous 1805 lottery were excluded.

The 1820 Land Lottery was the third lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the U.S. state of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to appropriate and redistribute Cherokee and Muscogee land. The 1820 lottery was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by acts of December 15, 1818, and December 16, 1819. The lottery redistributed land in Baldwin and Wilkinson counties. The 1820 lottery were used to obtain Muscogee land and redistribute it to settlers of various qualifications. Following the Creek War (1813–1814), President Andrew Jackson demanded from the Muscogee an immense area of land which would become the southern third of the entire state of Georgia. A second section of land in northeast Georgia was included. This other, smaller section defined the eastern end of the Cherokee Nation for 12 years. Muscogee land was appropriated and redistributed in Appling, Early, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Irwin, Rabun, and Walton counties.

The 1821 Land Lottery was the fourth lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the U.S. state of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to appropriate Cherokee and Muscogee land and redistribute it to settlers. The 1821 lottery was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by an act of May 16, 1821. The lottery redistributed land in Dooly, Fayette, Henry, Houston, and Monroe counties.

The 1827 Land Lottery was the fifth lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the U.S. state of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to appropriate and redistribute Cherokee and Muscogee land to settlers. The 1827 lottery was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by an act of June 9, 1825. The lottery redistributed Muscogee land in Carroll, Coweta, Lee, Muscogeee, and Troup counties.

The 1832 Land Lottery was the sixth lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the U.S. state of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to appropriate Cherokee and Muscogee land to settlers. The 1832 lottery was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by acts of December 21, 1830 and December 24, 1831. The lottery redistributed Cherokee land in Cass, Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, and Union counties.

The 1833 Fractions Lottery was the eight and final lottery of the Georgia Land Lotteries, a lottery system used by the U.S. state of Georgia between the years 1805 and 1833 to appropriate and redistribute previous Cherokee and Muscogee land to settlers. The 1833 fractions lottery was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly by an act of December 24, 1832. The lottery redistributed land from the original Cherokee territory and twenty-two lots that were not placed into prize wheels during previous lotteries.

References

  1. "Land Lottery System". www.georgiaencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  2. Dwyer, Dustin (7 March 2014). "What a massive land lottery in antebellum Georgia tells us about wealth and opportunity today". stateofopportunity.michiganradio.org. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  3. "Land Policies in Georgia".
  4. Weiman, David (December 1991). "Peopleing the Land by Lotteries. The Market in Public Lands and Georgian Frontier". The Journal of Economic History. doi:10.1017/S0022050700040134. JSTOR   2123395. S2CID   155013219.
  5. "Land in Georgia The Pine Barrens Speculation and Yazoo Land Fraud". ngeorgia.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  6. "Marbury v. Madison - Wikipedia". en.m.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  7. David Wishart (August 2006). "Settling Cherokee Georgia: Land Grab, Gold Rush, or Both" (PDF). Settler Economies in World History. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  8. "Trail of Tears". AAPF. Archived from the original on 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  9. Mooney, James, 1861-1921. (2005). Historical sketch of the Cherokee. New Brunswick, N.J.: Aldine Transaction. ISBN   0-202-30817-0. OCLC   60245546.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)