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History of the United States I / Unit 3   USH1 0319 short lesson, about 20 seconds

The Headright System

Captions available

The idea

The headright system granted fifty acres to anyone paying their own passage, and fifty more for every servant or family member they brought.

In practice

A planter's landholding growing in proportion to the people he imported.

Where people slip

The system rewarded importing labour with land, which concentrated both in the same hands.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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