Headright

A headright is a legal grant of land, usually to settlers moving in to an uninhabited area. Headrights are most notable for their role in the expansion of the thirteen British colonies in North America; the Virginia Company of London granted headrights to settlers, and the Plymouth Company followed suit. Most headrights were for 50 to 100 acres of land, and were given to anyone willing to cross the Atlantic Ocean and help populate the colonies.