Yes, but the point none the less is they were essentially given free capital and the associated risk with it. And based upon my own real life personal history is wasn't that complicated at all, the size was determined largely by what you could control (homestead) and that was largely based upon the size of your family.....hence the problem that would arise when families grew the land disputes followed. The reality of how harsh it was depended on where that land was and what natural resources were associated with it(game,fish,timber,water,minerals,etc.) as history shows some people,families did very well indeed.
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