Omar Bennett
40 acres and a mule refers to the unfulfilled promise of providing land and resources to formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War. The promise was made by Union General William T. Sherman in his Special Field Order No. 15, issued on January 16, 1865. The order instructed the confiscation of 400,000 acres of land from Confederate landowners and its redistribution to Black families in 40-acre plots. While mules were not mentioned in the order, some beneficiaries received them from the army. The phrase 40 acres and a mule has become a symbol of the ongoing struggle for reparations and economic justice for the descendants of slaves in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of origin | January 16, 1865 |
| Originator | Union General William T. Sherman |
| Document | Special Field Order No. 15 |
| Purpose | To provide arable land and resources for economic self-sufficiency to formerly enslaved African Americans |
| Number of acres | 400,000 |
| Number of plots | 10,000 |
| Plot size | 40 acres |
| Number of families settled | 40,000 |
| Total number of freed slaves | 4 million |
| Area covered | South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida |
| Mules mentioned in the order | No |
| Mules provided by the army | Yes |
| Other supplies provided | Cottages, schoolhouses, harnesses, carts, tools, seeds, and food supplies |
| Legal problems | "Black Codes" passed by Southern legislatures in late 1865 and 1866 |
| Current status | Unfulfilled promise |
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What You'll Learn
The origins of '40 acres and a mule'
"Forty acres and a mule" refers to a key part of Special Field Orders, No. 15 (series 1865), a wartime order proclaimed by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman on January 16, 1865, during the American Civil War. The order allotted land to some freed families, in plots of land no larger than 40 acres.
Sherman's Special Field Orders, No. 15 instructed officers to settle freed slaves on the Sea Islands and inland: 400,000 acres total divided into 40-acre plots. Mules were not mentioned in the order, but some of its beneficiaries did receive them from the army. Sherman later ordered the army to lend mules for the agrarian reform effort.
The idea for the order came from a discussion between Sherman, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, and 20 leaders of the black community in Savannah, Georgia. Stanton and Sherman had also been in conversation with Radical Republican abolitionists Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens following disruptions to the institution of slavery provoked by the American Civil War.
The phrase "40 acres and a mule" became a failed promise to freed slaves after the Civil War, denying them the ability to generate financial self-sufficiency. It was the first systematic attempt to provide reparations to newly freed slaves and would have been a radical policy for its time.
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The promise's impact on black history
The idea of "40 acres and a mule" was the first systematic attempt to provide reparations to newly freed slaves. It was a radical idea, even by today's standards, as it involved the federal government confiscating private property—approximately 400,000 acres of land—from former Confederate landowners and redistributing it to former Black slaves. This land redistribution was intended to provide economic independence for the freed slaves, who had no property, money, or education, and thus no clear path toward financial self-sufficiency.
The idea of "40 acres and a mule" came from Black leaders themselves, who met with Union General William T. Sherman and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton in Savannah, Georgia, on January 12, 1865. The Black leaders explained that they wanted their own land to live on, separate from white people, as they believed it would take years for racial prejudice to dissipate. They requested land grants for autonomous Black communities, arguing that racial hatred would prevent economic advancement for Blacks in mixed areas.
Sherman's Special Field Order No. 15, issued on January 16, 1865, reserved 400,000 acres of Confederate land for members of the formerly enslaved population. The order stipulated that each family would be allotted 40 acres of tillable land. While mules were not mentioned in the order, some of its beneficiaries did receive them from the army, leading to the phrase "40 acres and a mule."
The promise of "40 acres and a mule" had a significant impact on Black history. It represented a chance for economic independence and self-determination for newly freed slaves. However, the promise was short-lived. Following President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, President Andrew Johnson rescinded Field Order 15 and returned the land to its former Confederate owners. This broken promise denied African Americans the opportunity to generate wealth and resist Jim Crow policies, perpetuating racial inequality.
Today, "40 acres and a mule" remains a reminder of the broken promises of justice and equality made to the Black community throughout history. The failure to provide reparations for slavery and its lasting impacts continues to be a source of rage and frustration for many African Americans. Some have suggested that the federal government should still acquire land, housing, and business facilities to provide reparations to individuals and groups who can demonstrate a desire and ability to maintain and improve these properties.
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The role of the Union Army
The Union Army also played a role in providing mules and other supplies to the newly settled families. While mules were not mentioned in Special Field Orders, No. 15, Sherman later ordered the army to lend mules to the settlers as part of the agrarian reform effort. This contributed to the now-famous phrase "40 acres and a mule."
In the period following the war, the Union Army's presence in the region declined as it substantially demobilized. This had an impact on the enforcement of land redistribution policies. During this time, politicians, generals, and others proposed various colonization plans that would provide real estate to Black families, including Lincoln's plan to colonize blacks in a "climate congenial to them," which was funded by Congress in 1862.
However, the Union Army's role in the "40 acres and a mule" promise was ultimately limited by the political and legal landscape of the time. President Andrew Johnson, who had owned slaves and espoused white supremacist beliefs, overturned Sherman's order before the end of 1865, returning the confiscated land to its original owners. This action underscored the fragile nature of the promise and the ongoing struggle for reparations and economic justice for descendants of slaves in the United States.
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The unfulfilled nature of the promise
The unfulfilled promise of "40 acres and a mule" is a reference to the unfulfilled promise made to formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War. The promise was intended to provide them with land and resources for economic self-sufficiency. The phrase "40 acres and a mule" refers to Special Field Orders, No. 15, issued by Union General William T. Sherman on January 16, 1865. The order provided for the confiscation of 400,000 acres of land along the Atlantic coast of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, which was to be divided into plots of no more than 40 acres each and distributed to approximately 18,000 formerly enslaved families and other Black people living in the area.
While the order did provide for the distribution of land, it did not mention the allocation of mules. However, some of the beneficiaries did receive mules from the army, as Sherman later ordered that the army could lend the new settlers mules for agrarian reform. The order specifically prohibited whites from settling in the allocated area. The result of the order was the establishment of refugee camps that were afflicted by disease and short on supplies.
The promise of "40 acres and a mule" was the first systematic attempt to provide reparations to newly freed slaves, and it was highly radical for its time. The idea for the massive land redistribution came from a discussion between Sherman, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, and 20 leaders of the Black community in Savannah, Georgia. Stanton presented a transcript of the discussion to Henry Ward Beecher, who read it to his congregation and had it printed in the New York Daily Tribune. The effect of the discussion throughout the South was electric, with thousands of freedmen hastening to take advantage of the order.
Despite the promise of "40 acres and a mule," the order was short-lived. President Andrew Johnson, who had owned slaves and publicly shared his beliefs in white supremacy, overturned the order before the end of the year and returned the land to its original owners. The reversal had significant long-term financial implications, with estimates placing the value of the lost land and mules at $640 billion today.
The unfulfilled promise of "40 acres and a mule" continues to symbolize the ongoing struggle for reparations and economic justice for descendants of slaves in the United States. It represents a broken promise made to formerly enslaved African Americans, who have never received compensation for the injustices of slavery. The promise of "40 acres and a mule" remains a reminder of the failure to live up to the ideals of equality and the ongoing need for reparations and reconciliation.
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Reparations and economic justice
"40 acres and a mule" refers to a policy to provide land and resources for economic self-sufficiency to formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War. The phrase is derived from Union General William T. Sherman's Special Field Order No. 15, issued on January 16, 1865, which provided for the confiscation of 400,000 acres of land from Confederate landowners and its redistribution to Black families in 40-acre plots. While mules were not included in the original order, the army did provide some to the new settlers.
The policy of "40 acres and a mule" was a radical attempt to provide reparations to newly freed slaves and address the wealth disparity resulting from slavery. It symbolized the struggle for economic justice and reparations for descendants of slaves in the United States. The idea for land redistribution was proposed by black leaders and ministers during a meeting with Sherman and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton in Savannah, Georgia. The meeting, which included 20 black community leaders, was unprecedented in American history and marked a significant step towards rehumanizing and empowering a group that had been dehumanized and oppressed.
The implementation of the "40 acres and a mule" policy, however, faced challenges and was ultimately short-lived. By June 1865, the land had been allocated to 40,000 out of a total of 4 million freed slaves. Legal problems arose due to the "Black Codes" passed by Southern legislatures, and President Andrew Johnson, a former slave owner and white supremacist, overturned the order before the end of the year, returning the land to its original owners. The reversal had significant long-term financial implications, with estimates suggesting that the value of the land and mules today would be worth $640 billion.
The broken promise of "40 acres and a mule" continues to be a symbol of the ongoing struggle for reparations and economic justice for Black Americans. It reflects the failure to provide compensation and redress for the injustices of slavery, including the stolen labour, torture, and killings endured by enslaved Africans and their descendants. Today, there is a growing movement advocating for reparations to address the wealth gap and racial wealth disparity resulting from slavery, Jim Crow laws, and ongoing discrimination.
The legacy of "40 acres and a mule" has also left an impact on popular culture, with references in music, film, and literature. Artists such as Tupac Shakur, Kanye West, and Nas have mentioned "40 acres and a mule" in their songs, demanding reparations and addressing racial injustices. Films like "Gone with the Wind" and "Wild Wild West" have also included scenes alluding to the promise of land and reparations to freed slaves.
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Frequently asked questions
The idea of "40 acres and a mule" was conceived during a meeting between Union General William T. Sherman, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, and 20 leaders of the black community in Savannah, Georgia, on January 12, 1865.
The meeting led to Special Field Orders, No. 15, issued by General Sherman on January 16, 1865, which provided for the confiscation of 400,000 acres of land and its redistribution to formerly enslaved African Americans in 40-acre plots.
No, mules were not specifically mentioned in the orders. However, Sherman later ordered the army to lend mules to the new settlers for agrarian reform, resulting in the phrase "40 acres and a mule."
"40 acres and a mule" was a significant step towards reparations and economic self-sufficiency for formerly enslaved people. It set a precedent for land redistribution and post-slavery economics, generating enthusiasm for a new society to replace the slave system.
No, "40 acres and a mule" is not mentioned in the US Constitution. It was a policy proposed during the American Civil War and was not included in the Constitution.
