Digital History
American Land Policy
| U.S. Land Policy | ||
| Price per acre | Minimum purchase | |
| 1796 | $2.00 | 640 acres |
| 1800 | $2.00 | 320 |
| 1804 | $2.00 | 160 |
| 1820 | $1.25 | 80 |
| 1832 | $1.25 | 40 |
| 1854 | $0.125 | 40 |
| 1862 | free | 160 |
| Peak Land Sales | |
| 1816 | 1.7 million acres |
| 1817 | 1.9 million acres |
| 1818 | 3.5 million acres |
| 1819 | 3.0 million acres |
| 1820 | 0.8 million acres |
| 1833 | 3.9 million acres |
| 1834 | 4.7 million acres |
| 1835 | 12.6 million acres |
| 1836 | 20.1 million acres |
| 1837 | 5.6 million acres |
| 1853 | 3.8 million acres |
| 1854 | 12.8 million acres |
| 1855 | 12.0 million acres |
| 1856 | 5.2 million acres |
| 1857 | 4.2 million acres |
Questions To Think About
1. How did American land policy change over time?
2. Did land sales occur evenly over time? At what points during the early 19th century were land sales greatest?