Lee, Robert E. (1807-1870) An act donating public lands to the several state & territories, which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture & the mechanic arts
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05926 Author/Creator: Lee, Robert E. (1807-1870) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph document Date: circa 1866 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; 24.9 x 19.9 cm. Order a Copy
A copy of the Morril Land Grant act, granting public lands to individual states for the building of agricultural colleges, written by Robert E. Lee. The act, passed in 1862, offered states 30,000 acres of public land per Congressman from that state, to be used as an endowment to build agricultural and mechanical schools. Lee, who following the war became the President of Washington College (now Washington and Lee), was heavily engaged in trying to raise funds to rebuild education in the decimated South. In January of 1866 Lee met with the Committee on Education of the Virginia Legislature in an attempt to raise funds for education. It is likely that this document was written during this period when Lee was heavily involved in raising money for education.
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