Georgia’s most scandalous land fraud

After the Revolutionary War, Georgia had claims to large sections of territory stretching to the Mississippi River called the Yazoo Lands, but lacked the resources to protect it.

Four companies banded together to buy the property and after bribing state officials, legislators and newspaper editors, offered $500,000 for 35 million acres. The offer was accepted and in 1795 Georgia governor Georgia Matthews signed the Yazoo Act.

U.S. Senator James Jackson resigned and returned to Georgia determined to overturn the sale. He won and in 1802 the lands were transferred to the U.S. government, which paid Georgia $1.25 million.

– Jan Schroder, The Georgia 100