Final answer:
The Yazoo land fraud was a historical controversy involving the illegal sale of land in western Georgia territory by the state legislature to land companies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The controversy surrounding the Yazoo land fraud revolved around the issue of an illegal sale of land in western Georgia territory. In the late 18th and early 19th century, several land companies fraudulently persuaded the Georgia state legislature to sell them land at well below its value. This area, known as the Yazoo lands, was sold in large tracts to these companies, which in turn, sold smaller parcels to settlers. The scandal resulted in public outrage, leading to the eventual annulment of the land sales. However, the impact of the Yazoo land fraud lasted many years, influencing subsequent federal land policies and contributing to the political debate over land redistribution in the American South.