1/ On this day in 1862, President Lincoln signed into law the first #MorrillAct, establishing land-grant colleges & universities. Now thriving, the institutions seldom ask who paid for their good fortune. Here's why they should: 2/ The #MorrillAct worked by turning land expropriated from tribal nations into seed money for higher education. In all, the act redistributed nearly 11 million acres taken from nearly 250 tribes, bands and communities through over 160 violence-backed land cessions.

1/7 - Our investigation, "Land-Grab Universities," reveals how Indigenous land was turned into seed money for U.S. colleges: 10.7 million acres taken from nearly 250 tribes through over 160 violence-backed land cessions for the benefit of 52 universities. hcn.org/issues/52.4/in… 2/7 - This investigation has created an unprecedented database essential for understanding the source of many institutions’ wealth. Recognizing its importance, we have made all of our research — from spatial files to tabular data — available for download. github.com/HCNData/landgr…