Final answer:
During the Port Royal Experiment, plantation owners who had previously owned the freedmen as slaves bought most of the real estate. The freedmen were forced to give up their land and work as wage laborers on the plantations. Over time, their land was divided or sold off, resulting in poverty for the community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Sea Islands experiment in freedmen land grants took place after the American Civil War. During this experiment, the freedmen were forced to give up their land and work for the plantation owners who had previously owned them as slaves.
In many cases, the plantation owners themselves bought most of the real estate during the Port Royal Experiment. They purchased the land from the abandoned property and hired the black residents to work as wage laborers on the plantations.
However, some freed people did manage to retain their holdings, but over time, their land was divided among heirs or sold off, leading to a state of near-perpetual poverty for the community.