What legislative act in 1850 acknowledged the rights of commoners to land?

What legislative act in 1850 acknowledged the rights of commoners to land?

• A. Great Mahele
• B. Land Reform Act
• C. Kuleana Act
• D. Water Code of 1987

Answer: (C)

The Kuleana Act of 1850 was a significant piece of legislation in Hawaiian history as it aimed to secure land rights for the commoners or common people, specifically to grant them ownership of smaller parcels of land. Before this act, land was primarily managed and held by the ali'i (chiefs) and the government, which made it difficult for everyday citizens to claim ownership. The Kuleana Act allowed commoners to establish and prove their claims to land they had historically used, thus recognizing their rights to the land for agricultural purposes and habitation. This act also served to clarify and protect the property rights of those who were already part of the traditional land-use system, which included families who had cultivated land over generations. By legally acknowledging these rights, the Kuleana Act played a key role in reshaping land ownership dynamics in Hawaii, emphasizing individual ownership over communal holdings. The other options, while related to land and water rights in Hawaii, do not have the same direct focus on the acknowledgment of commoners' land rights as outlined in the Kuleana Act. The Great Mahele, for instance, was a land redistribution initiative occurring around the same time but primarily benefited the ali'i and had mixed outcomes for the commoners. The Land

The Kuleana Act of 1850 was a significant piece of legislation in Hawaiian history as it aimed to secure land rights for the commoners or common people, specifically to grant them ownership of smaller parcels of land. Before this act, land was primarily managed and held by the ali'i (chiefs) and the government, which made it difficult for everyday citizens to claim ownership. The Kuleana Act allowed commoners to establish and prove their claims to land they had historically used, thus recognizing their rights to the land for agricultural purposes and habitation.

This act also served to clarify and protect the property rights of those who were already part of the traditional land-use system, which included families who had cultivated land over generations. By legally acknowledging these rights, the Kuleana Act played a key role in reshaping land ownership dynamics in Hawaii, emphasizing individual ownership over communal holdings.

The other options, while related to land and water rights in Hawaii, do not have the same direct focus on the acknowledgment of commoners' land rights as outlined in the Kuleana Act. The Great Mahele, for instance, was a land redistribution initiative occurring around the same time but primarily benefited the ali'i and had mixed outcomes for the commoners. The Land