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Southern Homestead Act Of 1866 Essay

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After the Civil War, the United States was faced with numerous challenges. The Union had won and had to resolve several issues including handling the country’s debt, how to punish Confederate traitors and slavery. Slavery was one of the leading causes of the war and once it was a abolished the government had to work out a plan to help former slaves and freedmen. The solution was conducted by Radical Republicans; it was called The Southern Homestead Act of 1866 which allowed former slaves and freedmen to purchase land in the South for a low price. Although the Southern Homestead Act (1866) was meant to help blacks in Florida, it failed to do so due to discrimination on the basis of race, lack of government support and the land that was bought was of poor quality. Due to the southerners betrayal, the government geared the Homestead Act of 1866 towards freedmen and small farmers. According to Smith, “The Homestead Act (1866) opened up 46,389, 545 acres of land for public sale in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi ( Lecture 1, Rise of Jim Crow, 06/30/2017). In Florida’s case, the free blacks would have their own townships and communities that would promote black independence. Furthermore, land sold at this magnitude would help unite blacks and help them …show more content…

It was as for as if this law was defeating itself. The Radical Republicans put this law in place to help free black people but did not give them the proper tools to get some sense of

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