Black Americans’ Landholdings and Economic Mobility after Emancipation: New Evidence on the Significance of 40 Acres

African Americans and federal land policy: Exploring the Homestead Acts of 1862 and 1866

“…Lanza (1990) and Canaday et al (2015) note that while African Americans were underrepresented in the population of homesteaders in the southern region, they were relatively more successful in satisfying homestead claims than Whites, succeeding at homesteading 35% of the time while Whites succeeded at 25%. An important issue moving forward is whether African Americans would be better off overall if the Southern Homestead Act was more effective in establishing land ownership for freed slaves (Collins et al, 2022). A homesteading program free of the dilemmas of race and racism could have benefited African Americans.…”

“…Though few, studies indicate that an efficient and unhindered land ownership program for newly freed slaves would have at least narrowed racial wealth disparities (Collins et al, 2022). DeCanio (1979) shows that the redistribution of "40 acres and a mule" to freed slaves would have substantially improved the relative position of African Americans but would have only allowed Black wealth to eventually achieve half of White wealth, which is an improvement when compared to current wealth disparities.…”

“…An important issue moving forward is whether African Americans would be better off overall if the Southern Homestead Act was more effective in establishing land ownership for freed slaves (Collins et al, 2022). A homesteading program free of the dilemmas of race and racism could have benefited African Americans.…”