> Could someone straighten me out on Land Grants and Land Lotteries, how did > they work and how were they distributed, or applied for ,etc > The definition of a "Land Grant" and a "Land Lottery" varied from state to state and each Territory and the federal government had its' own definition as well. However, in a general sense, a "Land Grant" was an offer of a designated amount of real property in return for the performance of a act. For example, many of the railroads in the country were built on the promise of the federal government to pay the builder in real property upon completion of the railroad. Thus the government got a railroad built that would help settle an area of the country and the developer would get unimproved land that could have valuable timber or minerals etc. A "Land Lottery" was the giving of some land to the lucky winners of a drawing held by a government entity. The applicant perhaps paid a fee for the privilege of participating in the give away, and the government profited by getting some land development. The Cherokee Land Lotteries in Georgia in the 19th century were an example. Jim Pearson [email protected]