Re: Re: reparations

[Michael Hoover <hoov@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> The 40 acres and a mule promise comes from the Freedman's Bureau
> (1865-1872), along with civil war pensions, one of  the few 19th century
> federal social welfare measures. The Bureau was underfunded and hobbled
> by opposition at every turn, but it did exist, and it did make these
> promises.
> Joel Blau

1865 legislation creating Freemen's Bureau authorized it to make available
*for lease* (term of 3 years at annual rent based on value in 1860 when
land prices were high) to freedmen not more than 40 acres of land from
abandoned/confiscated plantations.  No land grants were involved, no land
redistribution was to occur, no general confiscation of large holdings
was intended.

First, best, largest parcels of confiscated land (about 800,000 acres)
were either leased to large contractors whose labor relations with
freedmen were regulated by FB or sold to speculators.  Almost 4 million
landless freed slaves- were left with 'opportunity' to rent total of
about 150,000 acres of worst land.

Only in a few instances (such as South Carolina Sea Islands) did blacks
have opportunity to obtain land ownership, mostly through purchase
although there were instances of folks who had 'illegally' occupied
land being recognized as owners.     Michael Hoover