| Abstract: | The Agricultural College Act of 1862 provided land grants to states for the establishment of A & M colleges. It is widely held that this measure was primarily used by speculators to acquire vast tracts of public domain lands. An examination of the influence of the Act on land alienation in California only partially supports this notion. Regional variations in the pattern of land entries over time reflect changes in the provisions of the original land act allowing thousands of small holders also to make use of this land measure. |
