Fun Fact Friday: March 17th 2017- The Morill Act of 1862

In 1862 Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, which created a system of land-grant colleges and universities that revolutionized higher education in the United States and helped the country become the scientific and engineering powerhouse it is today.

Want to know more?

What is the Morrill Act of 1862?

Answer: An act of the U.S. Congress (1862) that provided grants of land to states to finance the establishment of colleges specializing in “agriculture and the mechanic arts.”

Why is the Morrill Land Grant Act important?

Answer: The grant was originally set up to establish institutions is each state that would educate people in agriculture, home economics, mechanical arts, and other professions that were practical at the time. (This is where the A&M, in colleges such as Texas A&M, comes from)

What is a land grant?

Answer: A gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service.

What is a land grant university?

Answer: An institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.

How many land grant universities are there?

Answer: 106