Kentucky Land Law

Kentucky's history has been shaped by its land laws.

Land has been as important to the development of Kentucky's history as it has to the United States as a whole. In 1779, Kentucky imposed a land law to bring order to the distribution of Kentucky land.

Necessity

Before 1779, claims to land by settlers in Kentucky were nondescript and informal, thus the land law set a precedent for the way land was claimed and secured. Such law distinguished Kentucky from neighboring Virginia, which lacked official regulation for surveying and securing land.

Provision

The land law of Kentucky gave every land claimant who raised a crop prior to January 1, 1778, a lot of 400 acres at the rate of $2.25 per hundred acres. It also gave preference to the actual settler on the land rather than outside prospectors.

Consequences

Despite a degree of order stemming from the land law, disputes arose due to vague delineations of boundaries. This disputing, according to the book, "History of Kentucky," led to a surge of young lawyers journeying to the area searching for litigation. Despite the uncomfortable circumstances, however, it's believed this migration contributed positively to the state's character and history.

References

• "A History of American Law"; Lawrence Meir Friedman; 2005
• "History of Kentucky"; William Elsey Connelley, Ellis Merton Coulter; 1922