During the Progressive Era, government programs were enacted to help farmers buy land, recover from environmental disasters, and borrow money to grow their farms. But these programs were sometimes discriminatory in practice, and local governments, lending organizations, and even the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were subsequently found guilty of racial discrimination. As a result, many African Americans lost land that they had bought or inherited. Black farmers were also denied opportunities to purchase land, and many were denied fair payment for crops and livestock they cultivated.

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