-----------forward from <[email protected]>---------- Events Affecting Land Settlement In The United States 1607 -- First permanent English colony in American founded at Jamestown, Va. 1618 -- Land tenure in Virginia based on head-right system, by which 50 acres of land granted to each person who paid either his own or someone else's transportation from England to America. Larger tracts could be purchased also from the Virginia Company. All tracts located indiscriminately, without system of land survey. 1620 -- First English colony founded in New England, at Plymouth, Massachusetts. 1624 -- First Dutch colony founded in New Netherlands, at New York. 1630--Land grants to immigrants in New England made by General Courts. Settlers granted tracts of 10 to 100 acres. English officials voted themselves tracts of 1,000 to 9,000 acres. 1634--English colony founded in Maryland. Land tenure similar to head-right system of the Virginia Company. 1636--Settlers in New York granted land tracts up to 100 acres each. Extensive tracts awarded for importation of as many as 50 families of Dutch immigrants. 1662--Connecticut issued corporate charter. All land grants deter mined by New England Council. 1663-- Rhode Island issued corporate charter. All land grants determined by New England Council. 1664--After creation of New Jersey, land tenure established according to the head-right system of the Virginia Company. After the English assumed control of New York, land tenure was established similar to head-right system of Virginia. 1670--English colony founded in Carolinas, at Charleston. Land allotted similar to head-right system of Virginia, with each colonist granted 20 to 80 acres. Much larger tracts sold to affluent buyers. All tracts located indiscriminately, without system of land survey. 1676--Sale of lands first introduced in New Jersey. 1681--Pennsylvania founded as colony of England, by William Penn, adopted the head-right system of land allotment, with each colonist granted 50 acres of farmland. 1683--Sale of lands first introduced in Maryland. 1687--Sale of lands introduced in North Carolina. 1694--Sale of lands introduced in South Carolina. 1701--Sale of lands introduced in Virginia. 1713--First regular use of rectangular system of surveys in New England. Townships 6 miles square,surveyed beyond settler frontier for future expansion. 1715--First State land grants to veterans of colonial wars in New England. 1732--Georgia founded as English colony. Granted 50 acre farm to each colonist and 500 acres of land to settler with family of six or more. 1763--England acquired right to all lands east of Mississippi River as result of the Seven Years' War, which cancelled all claims of individual colonies. Pioneers prohibited from entering region west of Alleghenies. 1764 Settlers moved into Vermont and New Hampshire, and later Maine. 1770-- First colonists from Virginia and North Carolina begin the illegal settlement of eastern Tennessee and Kentucky. 1774--First local land offices open western Virginia for direct sale of tracts to setters in that region. 1775--Virginia promised land bounties of 100 acres for enlistment in the Continental Army. 1776--First act of Continental Congress pertaining to disposition of public lands. Act of August 14th offered deserters from British Army (both English and Hessians) fifty acres of Public lands plus citizenship. Act of September 16th promised land bounties for military and naval services during the Revolutionary War. Land warrants, subsequently issued to veterans, were confined to a "military district" of 2,560,000 acres of public land in the Northwest Territory. 1777--Continental Congress urged all States to seize and dispose of land owned by Loyalists and adherents to English King. All States had followed this advice by 1782, and were in the real estate business. 1780--New York, ceded all western land claims to new government. Virginia surrendered vast region north of Ohio River in 1781. Massachusetts ceded all western claims in 1784. Connecticut followed in 1786. South Carolina in 1787, North Carolina in 1790 Georgia. in 1802. All of these areas. collectively, constituted the public domain. 1785--Land Ordinance established rectangular system of cadastral surveys of public lands in Northwest Territories north Ohio River. Ordinance of May 20th reserved the Virginia Military Land District which could be used for location of military bounty lands. 1786--First Government survey of public lands began in eastern part of the Northwest territory. Using rectangular system, region under survey included the "Seven Ranges" north of the Ohio River. 1800--Act of May 10th authorized first Federal system of district land offices for transfer of surveyed public lands in Ohio Territory. 1801--Act of March 3 instituted first of many laws on pre-emption or preference right of pioneers. Pre-emption favored squatters, and discriminated against land speculators and investors,. 1802--Cumberland Road authorized for construction between Potomac and Ohio Rivers. Completed in 1818. 1807--Government first recognized and so confirmed to claimants, land titles originally granted or issued under foreign governments of Spain, France, Mexico and other countries. 1812--Act of April 25th established the General Land Office, Washington,. DC. as bureau of the Treasury Department 1812--Act of May 6th established. system of warrants or land bounties for military service during War of 1812 by veterans, or heirs. Military land warrants could be located upon any of the pubic lands were within a military district. Three new military districts.; each about two million acres, reserved in Illinois, Arkansas and Missouri. Military warrants and land grants administered by the General Land Office. 1814--After War of 1812 settlers began major migration west ward to occupy public lands in the Mississippi Valley. 1842--Military land warrants could be located on on any vacant, unreserved public lands subject to sale. 1845--Texas became a State, but retained title to all unoccupied lands. Thus Texas, was not a public-land State. 1848 Mexico ceded a vast territory in the Southwest, providing the United States with an additional 338 million acres of public lands to include the present States of California, Nevada , Utah, Arizona and portions of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. 1850 Oregon Donation Act granted as much as 320 acres each single male, or 640 acres to husband and wife, on condition of settlement for 4 years in undeveloped parts of Oregon. Act later extended to include Washington. Act expired by limitation in 1855. 1850--Act of September 28th authorized land bounties of 160 acres to any veteran of Indian Wars, War of 1812, or the Mexican War. 1862 -Act of 20 May, the Homestead Act, authorized unrestricted settlement on public lands to all settlers, requiring only residence, cultivation and some improve- ment of a tract of 160 acres. Any person was eligible who was head of a family or had reached the age of 21, who was a citizen or intended to become one, and who did not own as much as 160 acres. After living on the land and farming it for six months he could buy the homestead for $l.25 per acre. Act of July 1st, 1862 granted lands for railroads and telegraph systems. Act of July, 2nd, 1862; the Morrill or Land Grant Act authorized grants of public lands to help establish and support State Vocational Schools.