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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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