Yazoo Law and Politics in the New Republic: The Case of Fletcher v. Peck by Magrath, C. Peter - 1966

Providence, Rhode Island: Brown University Press, 1966. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good/very good. Hardcover with illustrated dust jacket. xii, [2], 243 pages. Frontispiece map illustration. Foxing to the foredge and top edge. Light shelf wear to the dust jacket. From the New Georgia Encyclopedia: After the American Revolution, Georgia was not in a position to protect its western boundaries where Indian Tribes lived. Georgia entertained the sale of the land to prospective companies to establish settlements. Early efforts to sell the land did not succeed. Finally in 1794, Georgia Federalist James Gunn arranged to have the distribution of money and Yazoo lands to legislators, State officials, newspaper editors and influential Georgians. A majority of Georgia legislators then passed the act to sell the land in November 1794. Cries of bribery and dishonesty and the protest of the sale did not dissuade Georgia Governor George Mathews to sign the Yazoo Act in January 1795. The Yazoo Act transferred 35 million acres in present day Alabama and Mississippi at a ridiculously low price of 500,000 dollars to four companies. This land was then sold to speculators and companies willing to build settlements in the area. Cries of bribery. James Jackson, Senator from Georgia, resigned his seat to return to Georgia to fight against this new act. In 1796 the Rescinding Act was passed by the Georgia legislature and signed into law by Georgia Governor Jared Irwin. With Jackson's allies in control of the Georgia Legislature and all documents relating to the Yazoo Act were destroyed and officials that passed the the act were denied reelection. In 1802 all lands were given back to the United States. Those that had purchased land went to the highest Courts and in 1814 all settlements were paid by the U.S. Government.