Lincon's 40 Acres and a Mule - how many would go?

How large would a Freedmen New Mexico get by 1900?

  • Only tens of thousands, less than the EXodusters later

    Votes: 4 44.4%
  • 100,000 or so, majority take place of Exodusters OTL

    Votes: 1 11.1%
  • 100,000 or so, in addition to Exodusters who flee later

    Votes: 2 22.2%
  • Well over 100,000, New Mexico becomes mix of Freedman & Hispanic heritage

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Well over 100,000, and given their own state (Lincoln)

    Votes: 2 22.2%

  • Total voters
    9
Given a number of thread on Reconstruction lately (you can tell it's the 150th anniversary of a bunch of things soon), I thought I'd start a poll on the concept of a Freddmens' Homestead Act.

Now, it's been stated earlier that settlers might not want hundreds of thousands of Freedmen in Kansas, Nebraska, etc. - but one place I think would be viable is New Mexico. The population there was mostly Hispanic, and in this era America's leaders might consider trying to dilute that large poulation. In addition, you have the Indiansj - you might get some who say, "let *them* deal with the Navajo and Apache" (who I think were more in Arizona).

You could still see the Exodusters of the 1870s/1880s, who numbered 100,000 or so, but for this one, let's say that New Mexico and Arizona (or somewhere else) is tried, how large do you think it would get?

The last 2 int he poll, BTW, presume Exodusters still leave, too.

I voted the 3rd because I think this would be seen as a first wave of people leaving, and be mostly because of government help to move, but that it woudl slowly pretty much over time, and merge somewhat intot he Exoduster movement into more hospitable lands. I think with education in dry farming, cattle raising, etc., you might see initial success, but on the whole, I think it would still not quite be seen as a perfect opportunity. Fredmen might make up a good minority of the state's heritage, but I think over the long haul, it woudl still be a bit more Hispanic, not like if Freedmen and their descendants kept flooding in. After a while, jsut like with other things, the political will to keep helping them get out to New Mexico would disappear, and the Exodusters would find greener pastures elsewhere.

Sadly, I can't see them giving them their own state if they took till 1912 to decide that New Mexicans had become integrated into American culture. I guess another interesting question would be, how soon does *this* New Mexico gain statehood.
 
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Given the more arid nature of new mexico, 40 acres might not be large enough for sustainable smallholds, plus they'd be beholden to those who control the water sources.

Finally the rail links aren't going to be done till the mid 1880s, making it expensive and difficult to get at any land granted in the South West.
 
Given the more arid nature of new mexico, 40 acres might not be large enough for sustainable smallholds, plus they'd be beholden to those who control the water sources.

Finally the rail links aren't going to be done till the mid 1880s, making it expensive and difficult to get at any land granted in the South West.

Wow, I didn't realize the rails took that long. (As for 40 acres, you can tell I'm a city kid - it *sounds* like a lot but I have no idea how to figure how big that really is.)

Perhaps 400 acres? All along the Rio Grande? What areas would be better that are more viable?
 
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