Fortyacres and a mule refers to a key part of Special Field Orders, No. 15 (series 1865), a wartime order proclaimed by Union general William Tecumseh Sherman on , during the American Civil War, to allot land to some freed families, in plots of land no larger than 40acres (16 ha). [1] Learn how black leaders in Savannah, Ga., proposed the radical idea of land redistribution to former slaves after the Civil War. Find out how the federal government implemented and enforced this policy, and why it was so revolutionary. The phrase refers to a promise made during the Civil War by Union general William T. Sherman that freed slaves would receive 40acres of land and a mule. However, after the war that land was given back to its original owners. · No mention of mules appeared in the order, but some of the formerly enslaved population were granted Army mules, resulting in this reparations program being widely known as “40acres and... · But what does that phrase actually mean? Since at least the 18th century, Black Americans had pushed for reparations for their stolen labor, but the debate gained serious momentum in the 1860s as slavery was abolished. 40 Acres and a Mule refers to a post-Civil War policy that aimed to provide land and resources to formerly enslaved African Americans, offering them a chance for economic independence. Learn the origin and meaning of the phrase "forty acres and a mule", which was an order to give land to freed slaves after the Civil War. Find out how it was issued, reversed and why it matters for black history.
