United States....Land Patent-Alabama, 1821

Collection

Identifier: M142

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of one United States Land Patent dated February 23, 1821. It provides clear title to 160 acres of land in Washington County in the present state of Alabama for Bookajah Smith, assignee of James P. Hainsworth. The land sale was handled in the St. Stephens Land Office at Fort St. Stephens, Alabama.

This document contains the signature of President James Monroe and of Joseph Meigs, Commissioner of the General Land Office.

Dates

Creation: February 23, 1821

Creator

United States. General Land Office. United States Land Office. (Organization)
Monroe, James, 5th President of the United States, 1758-1831 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Noncirculating; available for research.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).

Biographical / Historical

Sale of public lands in Mississippi and Alabama was handled through a United States Land Office established in a fort or local population center. Land was first offered at public auction; then any land remaining unsold was available for "private sale" or "private entry." A partial payment was made for a tract of land, and when final payment was received and the final certificate issued, a patent was recorded and sent to the land office to be given to the owner. Frequently, a settler making payments would assign (sell) his title to the land to another individual, noted on government documents as the "assignee."