40 Acres and a Mule: A Broken Promise of Reparations

In January 1865, General William Tecumseh Sherman issued Field Order #15, known as '40 Acres and a Mule', aiming to provide land reparations to newly freed enslaved people. This plan emerged during Sherman's destructive March to the Sea, where he seized and abandoned Southern lands. The idea was to allocate 40 acres to each freed family, punishing Confederate landowners and aiding freedmen's transition to freedom. However, the plan was never fully realized, and no land or mules were distributed.

What was the primary goal of General Sherman's Field Order #15?

• To provide financial compensation to Confederate soldiers

• To allocate land to newly freed enslaved people

• To establish new military bases in the South

• To create a new production company

What was the 'March to the Sea' known for?

• A diplomatic mission to Europe

• A destructive military campaign through the Southern states

• A campaign to recruit more soldiers

• A peaceful negotiation with Southern states

How many acres of land were intended to be given to each formerly enslaved family according to Sherman's plan?

• 40 acres

• 20 acres

• 100 acres

• 10 acres

What was the intended purpose of giving land to freed black people in the South?

• To punish Northern states

• To establish new cities

• To provide a foundation for a new life in freedom

• To increase agricultural production

What was the outcome of the '40 Acres and a Mule' promise?

• Neither land nor mules were given

• Only mules were given, not land

• Only land was given, not mules

• All promised land and mules were distributed