Westward Expansion
What was the Yazoo Land Fraud?
The Yazoo Land Fraud refers to a corrupt land deal that took place in the late 18th century in the state of Georgia, during the period of Westward Expansion in the United States. In 1795, the Georgia legislature passed the Yazoo Act, which granted millions of acres of land in present-day Alabama and Mississippi to four land companies for a very low price.
It was later discovered that members of the Georgia legislature had been bribed by these land companies, a scandal known as the Yazoo Fraud. The public outrage and protests against the corruption led to a repeal of the Yazoo Act, but not before many innocent settlers, who had bought land from the companies, had already been evicted.
The controversy surrounding the Yazoo Land Fraud became a significant political issue and eventually led to a Supreme Court case, Fletcher v. Peck, in 1810. The Supreme Court ruled that the repeal of the Yazoo Act was unconstitutional, as it violated the Contract Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The case had far-reaching implications on property rights and the limitations of state legislative power.