I am tempted to disagree with Neil's comments pertaining to "homesteading." I believe in both pre and post Rev NY many were allowed to settle and work the land, perhaps sharing proceeds from crops/produce...if in time they made the land profitable it was theirs; if they could not make it, they simply moved on...... Someone more knowledgeable may wish to research this a little more in depth
Well Dan, every book or reference source I have ever read has never referred to "homesteading" or "sharecropping" in NY before or after the Rev. I have copies of land transaction records of my ancestors in Herkimer or Oneida County in the late 1700's/early 1800's and they do not mention "homesteading" but rather the exchange of cold hard cash to the seller, usually a New York City land baron, who bought the land dirt cheap and sold it at inflated prices. Believe me there was no benevolent "share cropping" going on here. Since the federal Homesteading law was inacted in 1862, (refer to http://www.homestead.org/hofaq.htm ) I don't think it would cover this era. But then again, I might not be knowledgeable enough to understand this subject and as you hope someone else will "research this a little more in depth" apparently you aren't either. On 25 Mar 2000, at 16:56, Dan Touse wrote: > I am tempted to disagree with Neil's comments pertaining to "homesteading." I > believe in both pre and post Rev NY many were allowed to settle and work the land, > perhaps sharing proceeds from crops/produce...if in time they made the land > profitable it was theirs; if they could not make it, they simply moved on...... > > Someone more knowledgeable may wish to research this a little more in depth > > > > > > ==== NYONEIDA Mailing List ==== > Contact the List Manager at judjack@rocketmail.com > For List Rules visit http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1006 click on Mailing > List Visit the Oneida County Mailing List Surname Page at > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1006/oneida.html Visit the Oneida Co > NYGenWeb Page at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyoneida >