Land given away was designed to encourage immigration, reward good citizens and veterans of military service, encourage settlement and improvement of land, help the growth of railroads and other internal improvements, and foster development of educational systems. Texas traded more than 3,000,000 acres of land for the construction of a state capitol building. There was but one reason to sell land, and that was important: to pay debts of the State. Grants of land were given numerous names, depending upon the purpose of the grant. HEADRIGHTS were to encourage immigration and reward native citizens. BOUNTIES and DONATIONS were given to men who had fought with the Army of the Republic during the Texas Revolution. PRE-EMPTIONS (or HOMESTEADS) were given in the late 1850’s to encourage families to settle permanently on and to improve a plot of land. CONFEDERATE SCRIP rewarded Texas veterans who had fought for the Confederacy. CONTRACTOR SCRIP was given for construction of railroads and other internal improvements. Two other classes of scrip were sold: TOBY SCRIP, named for the man who sold it; and SALES SCRIP; these were designed to help pay the public debt. Land granted without any particular designation was that given to public schools, counties, The University of Texas, and eleemosynary institutions to use in developing an educational system. Here is a detailed study of circumstances surrounding the disposition of all land given, traded, or sold by the Republic and State of Texas. HEADRIGHTS There were four classes of HEADRIGHTS. The first was granted by the delegates who adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in March of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos. It provided that “all persons except Africans and their descendents, and Indians, living in Texas on the day of the Declaration of Independence, are entitled to headright grants, if they be heads of families one league and one labor, and if a single man, 17 years old or older, one-third of a league”. Second Class Headright Certificates went to heads of families and single men who arrived in Texas as immigrants after the Declaration of Independence and prior to October 1, 1837, provided they remained in the Republic three years and performed the duties of citizenship. Heads of families were to receive certificates for 1280 acres and single men a certificate for 640 acres. The Third Class of Headright Certificates were granted to heads of families and single men who immigrated to Texas after October 1, 1837, and before January 1, 1842. Heads of families under this class were entitled to 640 acres of land and single men to 320 acres.