Head right system
enabled planters in colonial VA to collect fifty acres of land for every indentured servant, whose passage they paid across the Atlantic
The head right system was a land distribution system used in the colonial period of American history. It was introduced by the Virginia Company in 1618 to encourage the settlement of new areas in the colonies. Under this system, new settlers were given a certain amount of land to cultivate based on the number of people in their family, including their servants and slaves. The amount of land provided was usually 50 acres per person, and the head of households were entitled to a certain number of “heads” or people.
The main benefit of the head right system was that it helped to increase the population of the colonies as well as the amount of cultivated land. It also gave settlers an incentive to bring more people with them to establish their colony. However, the head right system also favored wealthy individuals who were able to afford to bring more people with them, as they were awarded more land. This often led to the concentration of land and wealth in the hands of a few individuals.
Overall, the head right system played an important role in the development of the colonial period in American history by promoting the increase of settlers and land cultivation. At the same time, it also played a part in the stratification of wealth and power in the colonies, which is an important factor to keep in mind when analyzing the history of land distribution in America.
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