what would 40 acres and a mule be worth today?

Question

according to reparations, african americns were supposed to receive 40 acres and a mule.What would 40 acres and a mule be worth today?

Answer 1

As others have suggested, land values vary vastly. Of course, the land you are talking about is uncultivated land, the least expensive. Also, the economy of 2000 is so vastly different from that of 1865 that the comparison is extremely difficult to make. (Consider the fact that, under the Homestead Act of 1862, one willing to keep a plot for five years could get a section of 160 acres.)
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Now I know the following is not exactly what you were after, but I do hope you'll find it worthwhile (if you can bear with me for a bit)...

There's a bit of a problem with the basis of your question -- and this is something worth trying to get straight for any discussion of reparations questions.

You say "there was supposed to be" --which suggests a promise was made.

It is true that this is what many HEARD. But, in fact, there never was a GENERAL promise of this type.

The only such act was limited to the area covered by General Sherman's 'Special Field Orders No. 15" of January 1865 -- in part of Georgia and South Carolina.

Not sure "promised" is the right word, though. As much as we might agree with his decision, and dislike Andrew Johnson's reaction and policies, Sherman was NOT authorized to take this step, and Johnson did have the authority to override/rescind it.

Of course, since a fair amount of land had been transferred by the time Johnson rescinded the order that June, it understandably still feels a lot like a broken promise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_acres_and_a_mule
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Now for the GOVERNMENT to officially make such a promise, it would have to be done by Congressional legislation. That never happened.

BUT for a time it looked like it MIGHT! Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens fought for something very similar, involving the confiscation of land of the LARGEST landholders, and providing 40 acres and $100 for building a house (no mule, but worth a lot more!)

For the legislation that would have authorized this, and Stevens's speech in support of it see this:

Speech of the Hon. Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania, Delivered in the House of Representatives, March 19, 1867, on the Bill (H.R. No. 20) Relative to Damages to Loyal Men, and for Other Purposes
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/recon/stevens.htm
full speech - http://history.furman.edu/~benson/hst41/silver/stevens1.htm

Note especially his remarks on this provision:

"The fourth section provides, first, that out of the lands thus confiscated each liberated slave who is a male adult, or the head of a family, shall have assigned to him a homestead of forty acres of land, (with $100 to build a dwelling) which shall be held for them by trustees during their pupilage.

"Let us consider whether this is a just and [sic: politic] provision.

"Whatever may be the fate of the rest of the bill, I must earnestly pray that this may not be defeated. On its success, in my judgment, depends not only the happiness and respectability of the colored race, but their very existence. Homesteads to them are far more valuable than the immediate right of suffrage, though both are their due."
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There were VARIOUS reasons why this legislation was, in the end, defeated. Some was, sadly, racist. Others though were sympathetic to the freedmen --and had no particular love for wealthy plantation owners they regarded as behind the rebellion! -- but were very nervous about what still seemed to be violating property rights.
http://www.landandfreedom.org/ushistory/us15.htm

In the years immediately after the Civil War, there were several OTHER attempts to provide the freedmen with land. But Johnson vetoed every such proposal **http://www.njsbf.org/njsbf/student/respect/fall02-2.cfm

**From a historical perspective, it is remarkable that there were any who DID make such an attempt, along with the efforts to secure rights of the freedmen, such as the right to vote. If you look at other large-scale emancipations of serfs and slaves, I do not believe anything like this was ever contemplated, much less attempted, elsewhere.

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Incidentally, I DO believe the provisions of the Homestead Act (the 160 acres mentioned above) WAS open to the freedmen, and some took advantage. Unfortunately, many circumstances made it difficult for most to do so (and I'm not sure the lands they could most readily have homesteaded were very high quality).

Answer 2

40 Acres And A Mule

Answer 3

a lot more than what it was worth then. let's see! depends where the 40 acres are located. minimum pricing is $500 to $5k an acre times 40? hummmm! betcha it's worth more than what you've got in your pocket, right now. know what, sweetie! for anyone without anything, 40 acres & a mule is called a start. many of the former slaves who received it worked the land, scrabbled a living and somehow made it. oh they weren't rich but they had more than what they had a year before. always remember that something is better than nothing. talk about promises made but not always kept? the feds, back in the mid-to-late 1800s promised my ancestors a parcel of land to be left alone (and not to be annexed to the main frame usa). white folk or even blacks today would call it a reservation. well, it still is called that but the name, instead of meaning that the land was RESERVED for us, has come down through time meaning land that isn't worth anything 'cause you can't grow much on it, etc. well, for those native americans that have founded gambling casinos, tobacco plants, mining & mineral rights, etc., good for you! get what's coming to you & bravo! send your youth to eastern colleges, learn all you can and turn that knowledge towards your people & your past. make it pay for you & have the rest pay you! way to go! most of us native americans WISHED we were offered 40 acres & a mule. like i stated, it was a beginning!

Answer 4

In some areas an acre is like $50,000 and some places it about $250 for an acre. Take in between, which is around $25,000 per acre. That would be worth about $1,000,000 (one million dollars). Well, the donkey, not too much but, hey, with a million dollars who cares? (8
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Answer 5

Where would the 40 acres be? Location, location, location... some property is worth more than others due to proximity to development, now. A mule would be worth whatever was paid for it at auction.

Answer 6

Depends on where the 40 acres is, Louisana swamp?. The mule would be considered a liability.

Answer 7

You could make a living on it....


I have a book "Living on a Few Acres" (my copy is signed by Dan Quayle by the way) which tells one how to make a living off the land.

A family could grow a truck patch and sell the produce, raise their own food and livestock...

It would be worth a great deal.

(In monetary terms it all depends on where the land is at. Farm land could be $1500/acre or if it was in Mathattan it would be billions! If it was in "Love Canal" New York you might have trouble giving it away.)



g-day!

Answer 8

Depends on where the 40 acres were...

Answer 9

Here in AZ you can get 40 acres for a song...

Answer 10

Location, location, location!
40 acres in rural Alabama and a broke-down ole' hay-wagon=$120,000.00
40 acres in Manhattan and a high-dollar mule=$100,000,000.
40 acres in Africa and a dead mule = You couldn't pay me to enough to go!

The United States is famous for Broken promises to its own people. The government has a shameful past when it comes to its treatment of natives and slaves, and other disenfranchised people.
We have a long way to go to live up to our standards for humane treatment of our people.
I STILL believe it is the best place on earth to live. I am willing to take the USA warts and all and love it, serve it, protect it, and hold it against all comers.
The best and worst thing about any country is its people. We have the potential for greatness, unity, and even nobility!
We also have the potential for cruelty, intolerance and violence.
The best thing we can all do is respect our differences (gifts)and work together for UNITY and greatness.
We can ALL put the evil past behind us, and move into the future together- helping each other up-higher and higher.
If we don't-if we continue to value separateness and being RIGHT about who did what to who when- we will continue to disintegrate.
I want more than anything to have a country to pass along to my grandchildren, a country full of promises kept, history valued and unity above all else.
Please accept my sincere apology for the failures of our country in the past and my hope for the future that we can all love to be Americans-together.
Obama 2008!Vote!