Land lottery

The legislature set who could enter, the land was surveyed into districts and lots, and eligible citizens registered in their home county. Names were drawn from one wheel and lot numbers from another. A ticket with a lot number was a "fortunate draw," and the winner could take out a grant after paying a fee.

The land had been taken from the Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee nations. Entrants were generally free white men, with special rules for soldiers, widows and children.