The Georgia land lotteries were an early nineteenth century system of land redistribution in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Under this system, white male citizens could register for a chance to win lots of land that had (and in most cases recently) been taken from the

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsCherokee Nation. 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.” Although some other states used land lotteries, none were implemented at the scale of the Georgia contests.

Land Spaces

Land lots were surveyed in five different sizes based on the perceived quality of the land. In 1805, land lots were and . In 1807, land lots were . In 1820, land lots were and . In 1821, land lots were . In the 1832 Land Lottery area, land lots were , while in the 1832 Gold Lottery area, land lots were .

History of system

Prior to 1803, Georgia distributed land via a

headright system A headright refers to a legal grant of land given to settlers during the period of European colonization in the Americas. Headrights are most notable for their role in the expansion of the Thirteen Colonies; the Virginia Company gave headrights to s ...

. 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 The Yazoo land scandal, Yazoo fraud, Yazoo land fraud, or Yazoo land controversy was a massive real-estate fraud perpetrated, in the mid-1790s, by Georgia governor George Mathews and the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia politicians sold large ...

. The much-abused "headright" system resulted in the adoption of the lottery system in May 1803, under governor

John Milledge John Milledge (1757February 9, 1818) was an American politician. He fought in the American Revolution and later served as United States Representative, 26th Governor of Georgia, and United States Senator. Milledge was a founder of Athens, Ge ...

. 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. Cherokeenation1830map

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 mine Gold Mine may refer to: * Gold Mine (board game) *Gold Mine (Long Beach), an arena *"Gold Mine", a song by Joyner Lucas from the 2020 album ''ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characteri ...

s, for the State of Georgia, in order to pay for government projects and reduce taxes, and

Wilson Lumpkin Wilson Lumpkin (January 14, 1783 – December 28, 1870) was an American planter, attorney, and politician. He served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 1831 to 1835, in the period of Indian Removal of the Creek and Cherokee peoples to I ...

, 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

In an effort to keep their ancestral lands, certain

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

s (and other interested parties)—including John Ross,

Samuel Worcester Samuel Austin Worcester (January 19, 1798 – April 20, 1859), was an American missionary to the Cherokee, translator of the Bible, printer, and defender of the Cherokee sovereignty. He collaborated with Elias Boudinot (Cherokee) in Georgia ...

and

Major Ridge Major Ridge, The Ridge (and sometimes Pathkiller II) (c. 1771 – 22 June 1839) (also known as ''Nunnehidihi'', and later ''Ganundalegi'') was a Cherokee leader, a member of the tribal council, and a lawmaker. As a warrior, he fought in the ...

—took their fight against the State of Georgia to the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. There were two major cases heard by the Court during the years of 1831 through 1832: ''

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia ''Cherokee Nation v. Georgia'', 30 U.S. (5 Pet.) 1 (1831), was a United States Supreme Court case. The Cherokee Nation sought a federal injunction against laws passed by the U.S. state of Georgia depriving them of rights within its boundaries, but ...

'' and ''

Worcester v. Georgia ''Worcester v. Georgia'', 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832), was a landmark case in which the United States Supreme Court vacated the conviction of Samuel Worcester and held that the Georgia criminal statute that prohibited non-Native Americans from bei ...

''. Although the U.S. Supreme Court initially ruled against the sovereignty of the

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. ...

in ''

'', the U.S. Supreme Court later granted sovereignty in ''

'', resulting in the invalidation of the ''

Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...

''. U.S. President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

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''. 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 The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, forcing the " removal of the Cherokees. This was part of the “

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...

,” which modern historians consider an ethnic cleansing or genocide. 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.

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

#''

1805 Land Lottery 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 steal and redistribute Cherokee and Muscogee land. The lottery was authorized by the Ge ...

'' — This encompassed Muscogee lands just west of the

Oconee River The Oconee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map Accessed April 21, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its origin is in Hall County and it terminates where it joins ...

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. #''

1807 Land Lottery 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 steal and redistribute Cherokee and Muscogee land. The 1807 lottery was authorized by ...

'' — Included additional Muscogee lands in Baldwin County and Wilkinson County. #'' 1820 Land Lottery'' — After the

Creek War The Creek War (1813–1814), also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, was a regional war between opposing Indigenous American Creek factions, European empires and the United States, taking place largely in modern-day Alabama ...

(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 Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * Early ...

, Gwinnett, Habersham,

Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...

Irwin Irwin may refer to: Places ;United States * Irwin, California * Irwin, Idaho * Irwin, Illinois * Irwin, Iowa * Irwin, Nebraska * Irwin, Ohio * Irwin, Pennsylvania * Irwin, South Carolina * Irwin County, Georgia * Irwin Township, Venango County ...

Rabun ''Rabun'' is a 2003 Malaysian drama film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It tells a story about a free-spirited older couple, Pak Atan and Mak Inom who decide to spend more time in the country after getting tired of city life. But they find that life ...

, and

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingdo ...

counties. #'' 1821 Land Lottery'' — Further Muscogee cessions which included the future site of Atlanta. Land was taken in Dooly, Fayette, Henry,

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

, and Monroe counties. #'' 1827 Land Lottery'' — Signaled the end of the Muscogee presence in Georgia. Land was taken in Carroll,

Coweta Coweta is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States, a suburb of Tulsa. As of 2010, its population was 9,943. Part of the Creek Nation in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a U.S. state, the town was first settled in 1840.Lee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsTroup counties. #'' 1832 Land Lottery'' — This lottery, along with the 1832 Gold Lottery, gave the Cherokee Nation to Georgia settlers, sparking the "

." Land was confiscated in

Cass Cass may refer to: People and fictional characters * Cass (surname), a list of people * Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey * Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie * Ca ...

(renamed Bartow),

, Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin,

Murray Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...

, Paulding, and Union counties. #'' 1832 Gold Lottery'' — By the time of the gold lottery the

Georgia Gold Rush The Georgia Gold Rush was the second significant gold rush in the United States and the first in Georgia, and overshadowed the previous rush in North Carolina. It started in 1829 in present-day Lumpkin County near the county seat, Dahlonega, a ...

was already beginning to wind down. The state did not guarantee that gold existed on the lots given away. #'' 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.

References

* Cadle, Farris.
Georgia Land Surveying History and Law
'. Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia Press, 1991. * Graham, Paul K.
1805 Georgia Land Lottery Fortunate Drawers and Grantees
'. Decatur, Ga.: The Genealogy Company, 2004. * Graham, Paul K.
1805 Georgia Land Lottery Persons Entitled to Draws
'. Decatur, Ga.: The Genealogy Company, 2005. * Graham, Paul K.
1807 Georgia Land Lottery Fortunate Drawers and Grantees
'. Decatur, Ga.: The Genealogy Company, 2011. * Houston, Martha Lou. ''Reprint of Official Register of Land Lottery of Georgia, 1827''. Columbus, Ga.: Printed by Walton-Forbes Co., 1929. Reprinted 1967. * Lucas, Silas Emmett. ''The Second or 1807 Land Lottery of Georgia''. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1986. * Lucas, Silas Emmett. ''The Third or 1820 Land Lottery of Georgia''. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1986. * Lucas, Silas Emmett. ''The Fourth or 1821 Land Lottery of Georgia''. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1986. * Lucas, Silas Emmett. ''The 1832 Gold Lottery of Georgia: Containing a List of the Fortunate Drawers in Said Lottery''. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1976. Reprinted 1988. * Smith, James F.,
Cherokee Land Lottery of Georgia, 1832
'. Published 1838. Reprinted 1968 and 1969. * Warren, Mary Bondurant. ''Alphabetical Index to Georgia's 1832 Gold Lottery''. Danielsville, Ga.: Heritage Papers, 1981. * Wood, Virginia S. and Ralph V. Wood. ''1805 Georgia Land Lottery''. Cambridge, Mass.: Greenwood Press, 1964.

External links

Georgia Land Lotteries
from the state of

Georgia Archives The Georgia Archives is the official repository of archival records for the U.S. state of Georgia. Together with the Georgia Capitol Museum it forms the Georgia Division of Archives and History, part of the office of the Secretary of State of Ge ...

1805 Georgia Land Lottery
from 1805georgialandlottery.com

from 1807georgialandlottery.com

from ngeorgia.com

from rootsweb.com/~usgenweb

from georgiagenealogy.org {{Indian Removal 1805 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Aboriginal title in the United States History of Georgia (U.S. state) Legal history of Georgia (U.S. state) Muscogee Settlement schemes