Question

Under the headright system, every white male “head of household” could claim 200 acres of free land for himself and up to 50 more acres for every dependent he had. The population of Georgia in 1790 was 82,150 people.



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What would have happened had the headright system continued until 1790?



A.
Georgia would not have had enough land to give everyone who was entitled to it.

B.
Georgia would have gone to war with the Creek and Cherokee to obtain more land.

C.
Georgia would have bought more land from companies willing to remove the Creek and Cherokee from it.

D.
The system would have broken down as settlers were forced to buy land from the Creek and Cherokee instead.

Answer 1

A. Georgia would not have had enough land to give everyone who was entitled to it.

Brief check: at 200 acres per person, 82,150 people would require 16,430,000 acres (about 25,670 square miles) — far more land than Georgia could realistically distribute under the headright rules.