How much land was granted to Texas settlers?

During the period of the Republic of Texas, the Texas government granted over 50 million acres of public land to attract new settlers. The amount of land and the conditions of the grants were based primarily on the settler’s “class”, which was determined by their date of arrival in Texas (see chart below). Refer to our section on Texas Land Records for a more detailed discussion of Texas land grants and the process for obtaining them.

QualifyingAmount of Land Granted
ClassDate of ArrivalFamiliesSinglesPrivileges(1)
1Before 2 Mar 18361 league
+ 1 labor
1/3 leagueUnconditional
22 Mar 1836 thru
1 Oct 1837
1280 acres640 acresConditional
2M(2)2 Mar 1836 thru
1 Aug 1836
1 league
+ 1 labor
1/3 leagueUnconditional
31 Oct 1837 thru
1 Jan 1840(3)
640 acres320 acresConditional
41 Jan 1840 thru
1 Jan 1842(3)
640 acres320 acresConditional(3)

Notes:
(1) Unconditional grantees could sell or transfer their rights immediately; conditional grantees were required to establish residency in Texas for three years before an unconditional certificate was issued.
(2) Not an official designation; generally referred to as Class 2; reserved for volunteers for military service; the date of arrival requirements fell within that of Class 2 but the grantee received the amount of land and privileges of Class 1.
(3) In addition to the conditions imposed for classes 2 and 3, the class 4 grantee was required to cultivate 10 acres of the land on which he settled.


About Lyman

Lyman Hardeman has held a deep interest in Texas history. He spent his youth in College Station, Texas and received a degree in Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M in 1966. In 1995, Lyman created Lone Star Junction, a popular Texas history website that later merged with TexasProud.com. Lyman is a life member of the Texas State Historical Association and the author of Texas A&M The First 25 Years.