During the period of the Republic of Texas, the Texas government granted over 50 million acres of public land to attract new settlers. The amount of land and the conditions of the grants were based primarily on the settler's "class", which was determined by their date arrival in Texas (see chart below).
| Qualifying | Amount of Land Granted | |||
| Class | Date of Arrival | Families | Singles | Privileges(1) |
| 1 | Before 2 Mar 1836 | 1 league + 1 labor |
1/3 league | Unconditional |
| 2 | 2 Mar 1836 thru 1 Oct 1837 |
1280 acres | 640 acres | Conditional |
| 2M(2) | 2 Mar 1836 thru 1 Aug 1836 |
1 league + 1 labor |
1/3 league | Unconditional |
| 3 | 1 Oct 1837 thru 1 Jan 1840(3) |
640 acres | 320 acres | Conditional |
| 4 | 1 Jan 1840 thru 1 Jan 1842(3) |
640 acres | 320 acres | Conditional(3) |
| Notes: (1) Unconditional grantees could sell or transfer their rights immediately; conditional grantees were required to establish residency in Texas for three years before an unconditional certificate was issued. (2) Not an official designation; generally referred to as Class 2; reserved for volunteers for military service; the date of arrival requirements fell within that of Class 2 but the grantee received the amount of land and privileges of Class 1. (3) In addition to the conditions imposed for classes 2 and 3, the class 4 grantee was required to cultivate 10 acres of the land on which he settled. |
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