This was compensation made to freed slaves. It was authorized by Special Field Orders No. 15, issued January 16, 1865, by Major General William T. Sherman. It awarded 40 acres to black families (heads of households) near the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Plans were also made to use excess government mules, awarding one each per family. By June 1865, 10000 freed slaves were settled on 400,000 acres in Georgia and South Carolina. After Lincoln was assassinated, Andrew Johnson reversed the order and returned the land to its white former owners. Current U.S. Rep. John Conyers uses these facts as basis for his annual introduction of legislation for reparations for African-Americans. Spike Lee's film production company is named "40 Acres and a Mule."
Stymie
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