What was the first result of the Homestead Act?

On January 1, 1863, Daniel Freeman made the first claim under the law, which gave citizens or future citizens up to 160 acres of public land, provided they lived on it, improved it and paid a small registration fee. The government granted more than 270 million acres of land while the law was in effect. Read more…

What was the immediate economic impact of the Homestead Act?

It ultimately helped create the most productive agricultural economy the world has ever seen. The lure of free land led millions of Europeans to immigrate to the United States in the years following the Civil War. Some left their homelands due to crop failure and economic depression.

Why is the Homestead Act of 1862 important?

The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and lasting events in the westward expansion of the United States. By giving 160 acres of free land to claimants, it gave almost every man or woman a "fair chance."

What was the significance of the Homestead Act of 1862?

The Homestead Act of 1862. Millions of acres of land for the Homestead Act. The cry was FREE COUNTRY!! The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and lasting events in the westward expansion of the United States. By giving 160 acres of free land to victims, it gave almost every man or woman a chance to live the American dream.

Of the two million who claimed 160 acres of land throughout the lifetime of the Homestead Act, approximately 783,000 were successful, "proving" on their pieces of land after the required five years and acquiring their individual deeds.

When did the Homestead Act start and end?

As early as the late 1700s, this Homestead Act was in the works of the US government. Over time this act would evolve and there would be several different Homestead Acts that people could take advantage of to get their own piece of property.

Where did the settlers move after the Homestead Act?

The potential for free land attracted hundreds of thousands of settlers to move to Kansas, Nebraska, Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), Dakota Territory, and elsewhere in the West and lured a migration wave of thousands of African Americans from the South.