716:
700:
47:
454:
596:
six reputable colleges granting them, just four years later there were 21 colleges offering engineering degrees and the total number of engineers graduated had tripled to 866. The following decade added another 2,249 engineers, and by 1911 the United States was graduating 3,000 engineers a year, with a total of 38,000 in the work force. At the time, Germany was graduating 1,800 engineers per year. The US had become the leader in technical education just 50 years after passage of the
Morrill Act.
341:
501:(120 km) of federal land, either within or contiguous to its boundaries, for each member of congress the state had as of the census of 1860. This land, or the proceeds from its sale, was to be used toward establishing and funding the educational institutions described above. Under provision six of the Act, "No State while in a condition of rebellion or insurrection against the government of the United States shall be entitled to the benefit of this act," in reference to the recent
634:. This act required each state to show that race was not an admissions criterion, or else to designate a separate land-grant institution for African Americans. Thus, the second Morrill Act facilitated segregated education, although it also provided higher educational opportunities for African Americans who otherwise would not have had them. Among the seventy colleges and universities which eventually evolved from the Morrill Acts are several of today's
473:
426:
689:, with the land-grant universities' agents being sent to virtually every county of every state. In some states, the annual federal appropriations to the land-grant college under these laws exceed the current income from the investment of the sales proceeds of the original land grants. In the fiscal year 2006 USDA budget, $ 1.033 billion went to research and cooperative extension activities nationwide. For this purpose, then President
438:
533:. The resulting management of this scrip by the university yielded one third of the total grant revenues generated by all the states, even though New York received only one-tenth of the 1862 land grant. Overall, the 1862 Morrill Act allocated 17,400,000 acres (70,000 km) of land, which when sold yielded a collective endowment of $ 7.55 million.
516:
In 1890 the 1862 Act was extended to the former
Confederate states (see below for more detailed information), and it was eventually extended to every state and territory, including those created after 1862. If the federal land within a state was insufficient to meet that state's land grant, the state
595:
on constructing buildings as expensive and unnecessary, so instead the tools for engineering education increased, such as textbooks, laboratories and equipment. The number of engineers skyrocketed. Whereas in 1866 there were around 300 American men who had graduated with engineering degrees and only
495:
without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactic, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical
500:
From the early to mid-19th century the federal government, through 162 violence-backed cessions, expropriated approximately 10.7 million acres of land from 245 tribal nations and divided it into roughly 80,000 parcels for redistribution. Under the act, each eligible state received 30,000 acres
407:. In 1861, Morrill resubmitted the act with the amendment that the proposed institutions would teach military tactics as well as engineering and agriculture. Aided by the secession of many states that did not support the plans, the reconfigured Morrill Act was signed into law by President
715:
399:
Unlike the Turner Plan, which provided an equal grant to each state, the
Morrill bill allocated land based on the number of senators and representatives each state had in Congress. This was more advantageous to the more populous eastern states.
699:
680:
and various categories of agricultural and veterinary research "under direction of" the land-grant universities. Congress later recognized the need to disseminate the knowledge gained at the land-grant colleges to farmers and homemakers. The
579:, on fortress construction, and their instructors were the authors of most engineering texts of the day. The Morrill Act changed all of that. Though the Congressional debates about the Act were largely focused on benefits to agriculture, the
513:. However, after the war, in the 1870s, Mississippi, Virginia, and South Carolina each assigned one African American college land grant status; these were, respectively, Alcorn University, Hampton Institute, and Claflin University.
1340:
638:. Though the 1890 Act granted cash instead of land, it granted colleges under that act the same legal standing as the 1862 Act colleges; hence the term "land-grant college" properly applies to both groups.
1350:
1345:
350:
For 20 years prior to the first introduction of the bill in 1857, there was a political movement calling for the creation of agriculture colleges. The movement was led by
Professor
384:, drafted by Turner, calling for the Illinois congressional delegation to work to enact a land-grant bill to fund a system of industrial colleges, one in each state. Senator
540:
was the first to accept the terms of the
Morrill Act which provided the funding boost needed for the fledgling State Agricultural College and Model Farm (eventually renamed
555:
education in
America and boosted the United States into a position of leader in technical education. Before the Civil War, American colleges primarily trained students in
744:
1220:
1335:
575:. The first Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees, which typically required no Latin, came into being around 1850. American engineers were mostly educated at the
1059:
739:
635:
1125:
Debra Reid, "People's
Colleges for Other Citizens: Black Land-Grant Institutions and the Politics of Educational Expansion in the Post-Civil War Era," in
1033:
1172:
484:
1008:
65:
An Act donating Public Lands to the several States and
Territories which may provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.
774:
941:
Lee, Robert; Ahtone, Tristan; Pearce, Margaret; Goodluck, Kalen; McGhee, Geoff; Leff, Cody; Lanpher, Katherine; Salinas, Taryn (March 30, 2020).
1248:
642:
610:
To maintain their status as land-grant colleges, a number of programs are required to be maintained by the college. These include programs in
1216:
600:
563:. For the most part, only the relatively affluent could afford higher education, and entrance requirements often required proficiency in the
1156:
1330:
1243:
645:
and the "1994 land-grant colleges" for Native
Americans were also awarded cash by Congress in lieu of land to achieve "land-grant" status.
442:
369:
signed a bill establishing the United States' first agriculture college, the
Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, known today as
288:
using the proceeds from sales of federally owned land, often obtained from Native American tribes through treaty, cession, or seizure. The
1244:
Lee, Robert and Tristan Ahtone. 2020. "How They Did It: Exposing How U.S. Universities Profited From Indigenous Land" PulitzerCenter.org
619:
388:
of Illinois believed it was advisable that the bill should be introduced by an eastern congressman, and two months later Representative
1265:
Zdzienicka Fanshe, Rosalie. 2020. "The Morrill Act as Racial Contract: Settler-Colonialism and U.S. Higher Education" EScholarship.org
1249:
Wallenstein, Peter. 2018. "The Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 : seedbed of the American system of public universities."
1259:
1138:
1110:
979:
925:
457:
325:
297:
162:
148:
190:
759:
677:
430:
317:
253:
129:
121:
1225:
Singh, Vineeta. "Inclusion or acquisition? Learning about justice, education, and property from the Morrill Land-Grant Acts."
603:), nearly all of the land-grant colleges are public. (Cornell University, while private, administers several state-supported
576:
868:
1325:
631:
363:
682:
453:
362:
of 1850 called for the creation of an "agricultural school", though it was not until February 12, 1855, that Michigan
82:
852:
240:
105:
793:
480:
370:
46:
403:
The Morrill Act was first proposed in 1857, and was passed by Congress in 1859, but it was vetoed by President
769:
545:
351:
31:
1237:
1037:
1179:
506:
1234:
Land-grant colleges and popular revolt: The origins of the Morrill Act and the reform of higher education
521:
which authorized the state to select federal lands in other states to fund its institution. For example,
754:
686:
649:
541:
420:
359:
807:"Review of The Origin of the Land Grant Act of 1862 and Some Account of Its Author, Jonathan B. Turner"
340:
1289:
764:
661:
389:
377:
344:
186:
721:
706:
592:
281:
1153:
913:
834:
665:
653:
530:
510:
461:
366:
305:
293:
155:
544:
of Science and Technology). The first land-grant institution actually created under the Act was
17:
1255:
1212:
1127:
Science as Service: Establishing and Reformulating American Land-Grant Universities, 1865-1930
826:
749:
604:
556:
1251:
Civil War Congress and the creation of modern America : a revolution on the home front.
818:
725:
657:
522:
381:
355:
1277:
472:
1160:
872:
584:
408:
224:
652:' focus on agricultural and mechanical research, Congress later established programs of
425:
893:
690:
476:
465:
446:
404:
385:
166:
1319:
580:
572:
564:
537:
274:
1091:
496:
education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life.
560:
249:
214:
204:
114:
1142:
865:
1114:
1001:
983:
929:
615:
611:
588:
552:
329:
301:
285:
794:
https://govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/12/STATUTE-12-Pg503a.pdf
548:, which was established on February 16, 1863, and opened on September 2, 1863.
487:
which is the first building in the United States to teach agricultural science.
437:
1078:
Curriculum: A History of the American Undergraduate Course of Study Since 1636
875:". MSU University Archives and Historical Collection. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
830:
1264:
526:
502:
1284:. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. February 11, 2024.
838:
806:
393:
321:
277:
257:
194:
133:
607:
that fulfill its public land-grant mission to the state of New York.)
728:
at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Morrill Act, 2012
822:
1291:
An Audacious Act: How a High School Dropout Helped Educate America
672:
Agricultural experiment stations and cooperative extension service
568:
518:
471:
452:
436:
424:
339:
30:"Morrill Act" redirects here. For the act regarding polygamy, see
1295:
705:
Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Morrill Act, at the
914:
http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/chron/civilwarnotes/morrill.html
855:". Wikisource. Article 13, Section 11. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
693:
proposed a $ 1.035 billion appropriation for fiscal year 2008.
1154:
USDA Budget Summary 2006 - Research, Education, and Economics
942:
599:
With a few exceptions (including Cornell University and the
1299:
630:
The second Morrill Act (1890) was also aimed at the former
583:
were specifically included in the Act's language, meaning
57:
Land-Grant Agricultural and Mechanical College Act of 1862
1341:
History of universities and colleges in the United States
1278:"Text and PDF of original 1862 manuscript of Morrill Act"
433:
in the United States including the date of the land grant
1209:
Justin Smith Morrill, Father of the Land-Grant Colleges.
1092:"Morrill Act's Contribution to Engineering's Foundation"
884:
Letter from Lyman Trumbull to J.B. Turner, 1857-10-19.
1312:
A radio documentary on the Morrill Land-Grant Acts.
1227:
Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies
234:
173:
154:
144:
139:
120:
101:
96:
88:
77:
69:
61:
53:
241:
106:
966:John W. Davis, "The Negro Land-Grant College," 2
745:Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
445:(a land-grant university), is named for Senator
373:, which served as a model for the Morrill Act.
27:Law allowing the creation of colleges in the US
1351:United States federal public land legislation
1346:United States federal agriculture legislation
1036:. Iowa State University. 2006. Archived from
1034:"History of Iowa State: Time Line, 1858–1874"
8:
898:Cornell University Founders and The Founding
740:Agricultural Experiment Stations Act of 1887
636:historically Black colleges and universities
491:The purpose of the land-grant colleges was:
39:
1173:"CSREES FY2008 President's Budget Proposal"
900:(Cornell University Press 1943), pp. 28–30.
525:carefully selected valuable timber land in
995:
993:
991:
468:, in honor of the Morrill Land-Grant act.
668:(sustainable energy research, in 2003).
509:states and the contemporaneously raging
1211:Michigan State University Press: 1999.
786:
775:United States Department of Agriculture
695:
676:Starting in 1887, Congress also funded
1014:from the original on February 28, 2008
909:"Justin Smith Morrill (1810–1898)" in
643:University of the District of Columbia
38:
641:Later on, other colleges such as the
601:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
7:
1336:Land-grant universities and colleges
1298:. September 21, 2013. Archived from
866:Milestones of MSU's Sesquicentennial
551:The land grant colleges transformed
443:University of Maryland, College Park
1090:Williams, Daniel E. (Spring 2009),
449:, in honor of the act he sponsored.
441:Morrill Hall, on the campus of the
591:. The Act prohibited spending the
246:Tooltip Public Law (United States)
111:Tooltip Public Law (United States)
25:
1236:(Cornell University Press, 2018)
1060:"The National Schools of Science"
280:that allowed for the creation of
714:
698:
678:agricultural experiment stations
620:Reserve Officers' Training Corps
314:Agricultural College Act of 1890
304:et seq.) was enacted during the
185:in the Senate as S. 298 by
45:
18:Agricultural College Act of 1890
1000:Whalen, Michael L. (May 2001).
760:List of land-grant universities
664:(space research, in 1988), and
332:et seq.)) expanded this model.
577:United States Military Academy
1:
853:Michigan Constitution of 1850
811:American Journal of Sociology
656:(aquatic research, in 1966),
431:most land-grant universities
1331:37th United States Congress
685:started federal funding of
660:(urban research, in 1985),
536:On September 12, 1862, the
292:(12 Stat. 503 (1862) later
83:37th United States Congress
1367:
968:Journal of Negro Education
418:
29:
1159:December 1, 2007, at the
1002:"A Land-Grant University"
805:Dodd, William E. (1911).
481:Michigan State University
376:On February 8, 1853, the
371:Michigan State University
239:
178:
44:
1296:New England Public Radio
1066:: 409, November 21, 1867
943:"Land-Grab Universities"
460:, the first building of
336:Passage of original bill
1253:Ohio University Press.
770:Smith-Lever Act of 1914
683:Smith–Lever Act of 1914
546:Kansas State University
464:, is named for Senator
352:Jonathan Baldwin Turner
271:Morrill Land-Grant Acts
213:on June 17, 1862 (
203:on June 10, 1862 (
40:Morrill Land-Grant Acts
32:Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act
1007:. Cornell University.
498:
488:
469:
450:
434:
347:
1229:43.5 (2021): 419–439.
755:Land-grant university
687:cooperative extension
542:Iowa State University
493:
475:
456:
440:
428:
421:Land-grant university
396:introduced his bill.
360:Michigan Constitution
343:
149:7 U.S.C.: Agriculture
1326:1862 in American law
1185:on February 17, 2012
1099:Tau Beta Pi the Bent
765:Manual labor college
662:space grant colleges
658:urban grant colleges
648:In imitation of the
390:Justin Smith Morrill
378:Illinois Legislature
345:Justin Smith Morrill
324:, later codified as
187:Justin Smith Morrill
1302:on November 1, 2013
1076:Frederick Rudolph,
722:James H. Billington
707:Library of Congress
650:land-grant colleges
415:Land-grant colleges
358:. For example, the
310:Morrill Act of 1890
290:Morrill Act of 1862
282:land-grant colleges
174:Legislative history
73:Morrill Act of 1862
41:
1232:Sorber, Nathan M.
871:2007-08-06 at the
666:sun grant colleges
654:sea grant colleges
632:Confederate states
605:statutory colleges
531:Cornell University
511:American Civil War
489:
483:marks the site of
470:
462:Cornell University
451:
435:
367:Kinsley S. Bingham
348:
306:American Civil War
161:Later codified as
54:Other short titles
1217:978-0-87013-508-8
947:High Country News
911:The Latin Library
750:Hatch Act of 1887
557:classical studies
411:on July 2, 1862.
267:
266:
201:Passed the Senate
123:Statutes at Large
16:(Redirected from
1358:
1311:
1309:
1307:
1285:
1282:OurDocuments.gov
1195:
1194:
1192:
1190:
1184:
1178:. Archived from
1177:
1169:
1163:
1151:
1145:
1136:
1130:
1123:
1117:
1108:
1102:
1101:
1096:
1087:
1081:
1074:
1068:
1067:
1056:
1050:
1049:
1047:
1045:
1030:
1024:
1023:
1021:
1019:
1013:
1006:
997:
986:
977:
971:
964:
958:
957:
955:
953:
938:
932:
923:
917:
907:
901:
891:
885:
882:
876:
862:
856:
849:
843:
842:
802:
796:
791:
726:Vartan Gregorian
718:
702:
585:applied sciences
356:Illinois College
263:
247:
243:
235:Major amendments
211:Passed the House
197:) on May 5, 1862
158:sections created
124:
112:
108:
49:
42:
21:
1366:
1365:
1361:
1360:
1359:
1357:
1356:
1355:
1316:
1315:
1305:
1303:
1294:. Amherst, MA:
1288:
1276:
1273:
1204:
1202:Further reading
1199:
1198:
1188:
1186:
1182:
1175:
1171:
1170:
1166:
1161:Wayback Machine
1152:
1148:
1137:
1133:
1124:
1120:
1109:
1105:
1094:
1089:
1088:
1084:
1075:
1071:
1058:
1057:
1053:
1043:
1041:
1040:on May 13, 2009
1032:
1031:
1027:
1017:
1015:
1011:
1004:
999:
998:
989:
978:
974:
965:
961:
951:
949:
940:
939:
935:
924:
920:
908:
904:
892:
888:
883:
879:
873:Wayback Machine
863:
859:
850:
846:
804:
803:
799:
792:
788:
783:
736:
729:
719:
710:
709:, June 23, 2012
703:
674:
628:
618:, as well as a
423:
417:
409:Abraham Lincoln
338:
262:August 30, 1890
261:
245:
230:
227:on July 2, 1862
225:Abraham Lincoln
221:Signed into law
122:
110:
78:Enacted by
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1364:
1362:
1354:
1353:
1348:
1343:
1338:
1333:
1328:
1318:
1317:
1314:
1313:
1286:
1272:
1271:External links
1269:
1268:
1267:
1262:
1246:
1241:
1230:
1223:
1207:Cross, Coy F.
1203:
1200:
1197:
1196:
1164:
1146:
1131:
1129:p. 144 (2015).
1118:
1103:
1082:
1069:
1051:
1025:
987:
972:
959:
933:
918:
902:
894:Carl L. Becker
886:
877:
857:
844:
823:10.1086/211983
817:(3): 406–407.
797:
785:
784:
782:
779:
778:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
735:
732:
731:
730:
720:
713:
711:
704:
697:
691:George W. Bush
673:
670:
627:
624:
565:dead languages
477:Beaumont Tower
466:Justin Morrill
447:Justin Morrill
419:Main article:
416:
413:
405:James Buchanan
386:Lyman Trumbull
337:
334:
265:
264:
237:
236:
232:
231:
229:
228:
218:
208:
198:
179:
176:
175:
171:
170:
159:
152:
151:
146:
145:Titles amended
142:
141:
137:
136:
126:
118:
117:
103:
99:
98:
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
79:
75:
74:
71:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
55:
51:
50:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1363:
1352:
1349:
1347:
1344:
1342:
1339:
1337:
1334:
1332:
1329:
1327:
1324:
1323:
1321:
1301:
1297:
1293:
1292:
1287:
1283:
1279:
1275:
1274:
1270:
1266:
1263:
1261:
1260:9780821423387
1257:
1254:
1252:
1247:
1245:
1242:
1239:
1235:
1231:
1228:
1224:
1222:
1218:
1214:
1210:
1206:
1205:
1201:
1181:
1174:
1168:
1165:
1162:
1158:
1155:
1150:
1147:
1144:
1140:
1139:7 U.S.C.
1135:
1132:
1128:
1122:
1119:
1116:
1112:
1111:7 U.S.C.
1107:
1104:
1100:
1093:
1086:
1083:
1079:
1073:
1070:
1065:
1061:
1055:
1052:
1039:
1035:
1029:
1026:
1010:
1003:
996:
994:
992:
988:
985:
981:
980:7 U.S.C.
976:
973:
969:
963:
960:
948:
944:
937:
934:
931:
927:
926:7 U.S.C.
922:
919:
915:
912:
906:
903:
899:
895:
890:
887:
881:
878:
874:
870:
867:
861:
858:
854:
848:
845:
840:
836:
832:
828:
824:
820:
816:
812:
808:
801:
798:
795:
790:
787:
780:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
737:
733:
727:
723:
717:
712:
708:
701:
696:
694:
692:
688:
684:
679:
671:
669:
667:
663:
659:
655:
651:
646:
644:
639:
637:
633:
625:
623:
621:
617:
613:
608:
606:
602:
597:
594:
590:
586:
582:
581:mechanic arts
578:
574:
573:Ancient Greek
570:
566:
562:
558:
554:
549:
547:
543:
539:
538:state of Iowa
534:
532:
528:
524:
520:
514:
512:
508:
504:
497:
492:
486:
482:
478:
474:
467:
463:
459:
455:
448:
444:
439:
432:
427:
422:
414:
412:
410:
406:
401:
397:
395:
391:
387:
383:
379:
374:
372:
368:
365:
361:
357:
353:
346:
342:
335:
333:
331:
327:
326:7 U.S.C.
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
298:7 U.S.C.
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
276:
275:United States
272:
259:
255:
251:
244:
238:
233:
226:
223:by President
222:
219:
216:
212:
209:
206:
202:
199:
196:
192:
188:
184:
181:
180:
177:
172:
169:§ 301 et seq.
168:
164:
160:
157:
153:
150:
147:
143:
138:
135:
131:
127:
125:
119:
116:
109:
104:
100:
95:
91:
87:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
43:
37:
33:
19:
1306:December 10,
1304:. Retrieved
1300:the original
1290:
1281:
1250:
1233:
1226:
1208:
1189:February 12,
1187:. Retrieved
1180:the original
1167:
1149:
1134:
1126:
1121:
1106:
1098:
1085:
1077:
1072:
1063:
1054:
1042:. Retrieved
1038:the original
1028:
1016:. Retrieved
975:
970:p.312 (1933)
967:
962:
950:. Retrieved
946:
936:
921:
910:
905:
897:
889:
880:
860:
847:
814:
810:
800:
789:
675:
647:
640:
629:
609:
598:
561:liberal arts
550:
535:
515:
499:
494:
490:
485:College Hall
458:Morrill Hall
402:
398:
375:
349:
313:
309:
289:
270:
268:
220:
210:
200:
182:
140:Codification
92:July 2, 1862
36:
1143:§ 361a
1080:p.36 (1978)
616:engineering
612:agriculture
589:engineering
553:engineering
517:was issued
505:of several
286:U.S. states
1320:Categories
1115:§ 323
1064:The Nation
1018:August 25,
984:§ 302
930:§ 304
781:References
382:resolution
380:adopted a
330:§ 321
308:, and the
302:§ 301
260:, enacted
252:, 26
183:Introduced
102:Public law
62:Long title
952:April 21,
831:0002-9602
626:Expansion
622:program.
593:endowment
527:Wisconsin
503:secession
316:(26
97:Citations
89:Effective
70:Nicknames
1157:Archived
1009:Archived
869:Archived
734:See also
559:and the
529:to fund
523:New York
507:Southern
364:Governor
294:codified
278:statutes
163:7 U.S.C.
128:12
1044:July 9,
839:2763175
429:Map of
394:Vermont
242:Pub. L.
107:Pub. L.
1258:
1238:online
1221:online
1215:
1141:
1113:
982:
928:
837:
829:
328:
320:
300:
256:
250:51–841
248:
167:ch. 13
156:U.S.C.
132:
115:37–130
113:
1183:(PDF)
1176:(PDF)
1095:(PDF)
1012:(PDF)
1005:(PDF)
835:JSTOR
569:Latin
519:scrip
318:Stat.
312:(the
254:Stat.
215:91-25
165:
130:Stat.
1308:2013
1256:ISBN
1213:ISBN
1191:2013
1046:2009
1020:2020
954:2020
827:ISSN
724:and
614:and
587:and
571:and
273:are
269:The
205:32-7
81:the
819:doi
567:of
479:at
392:of
354:of
322:417
296:as
284:in
258:417
134:503
1322::
1280:.
1219:.
1097:,
1062:,
990:^
945:.
896:,
833:.
825:.
815:17
813:.
809:.
195:VT
1310:.
1240:.
1193:.
1048:.
1022:.
956:.
916:.
864:"
851:"
841:.
821::
217:)
207:)
193:–
191:R
189:(
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
