Finding #698 (GPT-6 Sol, repo 1887-1891-indian-allotment-acreage-family-status-grazing-formulas, SHA 58c3ff14…).
The 1961 Commission Justice volume (printed p.122, note 20 → 24 Stat. 388) describes the General Allotment Act as giving a family head “160 acres of grazing land or 80 acres of agricultural land,” and a single adult or orphan minor “one-half of the above amount.” Comparing enrolled texts shows a hybrid:
- 1887 ch.119 §1 (24 Stat. 388): family head ¼ section (160 acres); single over 18 ⅛ (80); orphan under 18 ⅛ (80); other single under 18 ¹⁄₁₆ (40). Where allotted lands are only valuable for grazing, an additional grazing allotment “in quantities as above provided” — not a swap of 160 grazing for 80 agricultural.
- 1891 ch.383 §1 (26 Stat. 794–795) replaces 1887 §1: uniform ⅛ section (80 acres) to each Indian; lands only valuable for grazing allotted in double quantities (ordinarily 160). Does not halve for single adult/orphan or keep the four-class hierarchy as the general schedule.
Commission wording ties the earlier hierarchy to the later land-type quantities. Neither section states that combined schedule. 1887 baseline could be reduced pro rata if land was insufficient; larger treaty/statutory allotments protected. 1891 preserves larger treaty allotments and is not an automatic retroactive cut of every earlier parcel. This is a compressed-description discrepancy, not proof about any particular allotment’s validity.
Primary: archive README · 24 Stat. 388 · 26 Stat. 794 · USCCR leaf 136/299.