THE SETTLING OF SARASOTA (4th in a series)

On September 10, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act of 1862 that opened 270 million acres (10% of the area of the USA) to settlers' claims. To claim a 160 acre of land, 1/4 of a square mile), a homesteader had to be the head of a household, 21 years of age, live on the land, build a home, and farm it for 5 years. The total filing fee was $18.

How Bill Whitaker got title to his homestead is unknown. His grant states that it was made under the provisions of the Act of 1847. According to the Library of Congress, there is no Act of 1847 that would apply.

There was an "Armed Occupation Act of 1841 " (August 4) which awarded 160 acres of land in certain areas of east Florida to men able to bear arms against the Indians. This Act was short lived, however, due to the opposition of planters and land speculators who "foresaw an uncontrollable land boom" but really didn't want common folks to become independent. It was as a result of this Act that Bill Whitaker at age 18 came to the area and fought in the Seminole Indian War.

In January 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves. Hannah and Jeffrey, two of Whitaker's slaves had lived happily on the Whitaker Plantation until they were liberated and taken to Key West by Union soldiers. After the war ended, Jeffrey chose to return to the Whitaker's but Hannah stayed in Key West.

As the Civil War continued, raids on the Whitaker homestead by Union soldiers, some of whom were deserters, became more frequent. All the livestock disappeared and edible crops were destroyed; Whitaker moved his family to Manatee.

While living in Manatee, Whitaker worked hard to support the Confederacy. He operated a gristmill deep in the Myakka Lake area that provided grits and corn meal for local families. Supplies of durable goods normally obtained from the north became unavailable because of the Union blockade of the southern ports.

Bill ran the blockade in his wagon pulled by a team of mules, to buy shoes, materials, etc. in Gainesville. When shoes jumped in cost from $2 to $12 a pair, and calico to $5 per yard, the runs stopped because no one could afford to purchase them.

The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General U.S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, and the Whitaker family returned to their homestead in what was to be Sarasota.

(To be continued)..

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