Land For The Landless

The land of the Missouri territory was like a magnet to the landless of the states east of the Mississippi River. The landless of Tennessee and Kentucky had experienced or had observed how by not following the rules, it could result in the loss of land that they had toiled many long hours on to improve. These were the children of the settlers who had followed Daniel Boone across the mountains. They thought the corners of their lands, which he established by hacking notches in trees or piling up rocks, gave them title to the land. They found when the government established surveys based on meridians north to south and base lines east to west, and divided it into townships and ranges, the crooked lawyers and settlers could take the land. They, like Daniel Boone, wanted escape from the lawsuits, so they came to Missouri.

This flow was like the rivers that run west, as the dispossessed and landless hollowed out logs that they dragged to the river, loaded their families and possessions into and floated on west to the new Missouri Territory. When they reached the West Bank of the Mississippi River, they found the best land occupied by a people of a Latin way of life. They were devout Catholic, spoke French or Spanish and did not like the English ways. Finding many snakes, flies and mosquitoes in the lowlands, they moved on westward overland.

This now continued like an avalanche after the War of 1812 and on till statehood was established. River boats started moving up the Mississippi, taking the settlers north and west. At each cabin along the trails the question asked was, "Are you a speculator?"

"Do you have a New Madrid Claim?"

"Do you have a Soldiers Grant?"

The congress of the United States had passed a law making two million acres of land between the St. Francis and Arkansas Rivers, bounty lands for the soldiers of the War of 1812. Each was to receive 640 acres with the land to be set aside by lottery. The warrants were to be issued in the name of the soldier so he could settle the land or sell his warrant. This allowed many warrants to end up in the hands of speculators.

The New Madrid Earthquake made many thousands of acres of country lands, as well as Spanish Grants that were made to encourage settlers, untenantable. Congress attempted to give relief to the victims by passing a law granting an acreage of the same size in an area of the district not affected by the earthquake, to each owner who had sustained serious loss. In this way, many more acres were claimed than were destroyed by the earthquake, as the uplands adjacent to the quake area was the area of the Upper Current and Eleven Points Rivers. They were located in the Cape Girardeau district and many claims were made in this area.

As the centers for law enforcement was at a great distance, the job fell to the community leaders. The laws passed for the territory were known and administered by them. There was hate and friction that led to fights and killing but there was a set rule that this must be forgotten during death and burial. Some of the punishment for crimes were set as follows: horse stealing, 20 stripes on the bare back without regard to sex, a fine and loss of the right to vote; hog stealing, whipping, a fine and time spent in the pillory.