Land Grants, Land Use, Land Alienation
Governments often used the promise of land as a means to implement policy. Whether the land was in the form of a large grant to a successful explorer, or in the offer of a homestead on the frontier, the motive for such grants was seldom entirely altruistic. Most grants contained stipulations for settlement and cultivation because a growing population was necessary for economic development. Rulers of Florida also offered land grants to encourage a particular religion, to protect shipping, or to establish protection against Indian attacks. When Florida became part of the United States, large sections of the territory were already claimed under various land grants made by Spain or Great Britain. Succeeding United States governments continued to grant land to individuals or companies to stimulate internal improvements or to increase population. In the hands of developers, land grants usually had the desired effect, but in the hands of speculators they tended to decrease population growth. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of land grants on population growth in Orange County, Florida.
