Donation Land Claim Act facts for kids
.svg) |
|
| Nicknames | Donation Land Act |
|---|---|
| Enacted by | the 31st United States Congress |
| Effective | September 27, 1850 |
| Legislative history | |
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a law passed by the United States Congress in 1850. It was also known as the Donation Land Act. This law aimed to encourage people to move to the Oregon Territory and start farms or homes there.
It was an early version of later laws like the Homestead Acts. The act brought many settlers to the Oregon Territory. They often traveled along the famous Oregon Trail. Over 7,400 land claims were officially given out under this law. The law ended in late 1855. It allowed white men, or people with mixed white and Native American heritage, who arrived in Oregon before 1850, to claim land. They had to live on and work the land for four years to officially own it.
Like other US land laws, the Donation Land Claim Act did not treat all people equally. It made it harder for non-white settlers to get land. It also led to Native Americans losing their traditional lands.
Contents
How the Law Started
The Donation Land Claim Act became law on September 27, 1850. A big reason it passed was because of Samuel R. Thurston. He was the representative for the Oregon Territory in Congress.
Who Could Claim Land?
The law offered free land in specific areas. An unmarried white man, 18 years or older, could get 320 acres (about 1.3 square kilometers). A married couple could get 640 acres (about 2.6 square kilometers). They had to arrive in the Oregon Territory before December 1, 1850.
Special Rules for Married Couples
For married couples, the law was quite new for its time. It allowed both the husband and wife to own half of the land grant in their own names. This was one of the first times in the United States that married women could legally own property.
Later Arrivals and Conditions
People who arrived after December 1, 1850, but before 1854, could still get land. They were granted half the amount of land. To fully own the land, claimants had to live on it and farm it for four years. This was a condition to get the official ownership title.
Rules and Limits
Before this federal law, the local government in Oregon had its own rules for land claims. This provisional government was formed at Champoeg. They had limited the size of land claims. This was done to stop people from buying up large amounts of land just to sell it later for profit, which is called land speculation.
The new federal law replaced the older local rules. However, it largely kept the same ideas about land ownership. It also made sure that land claims already made under the old rules were still valid.
A Famous Land Claim
One important claim made valid by this act belonged to George Abernethy. He had been the governor of the provisional government. His land claim became well-known for a place called Abernethy Green. This was a camping spot for new settlers at the end of the Oregon Trail. They would camp there while looking for their own piece of land.
Where Claims Were Processed
Claims under the Donation Land Claim Act were handled at the federal land office. This office was located in Oregon City.
Surveying the Land
The land claims needed to be measured and mapped out. This job was done by the Surveyor General of Oregon. This was a new government position created by the law. As part of this large survey, a special marker called the Willamette Stone was placed. It is just west of Portland. This stone marks the starting point for measuring all land in Oregon and Washington. It defines the Willamette Meridian, which is a key line for mapping.
After the Law Ended
The Donation Land Claim Act officially ended on December 1, 1855. After this date, the land in Oregon was no longer free. However, it was still available for purchase. The price was $1.25 per acre (about $3.09 per hectare). There was a limit of 320 acres (about 1.3 square kilometers) for any single claim.
In the years that followed, the price of land went up. The maximum size of land claims that someone could buy was also made smaller. The government's main goal was to increase the number of people living in the area.
In 1862, Congress passed the first of the "Homestead Acts." These laws were mostly designed to encourage people to settle in the Great Plains states. But they also applied to Oregon.
