The Homestead Act, enacted during the Civil War in 1862, provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land. Claimants were required to “improve” the plot by building a dwelling and cultivating the land.

The Homestead Act encouraged western migration by providing settlers with 160 acres of land in exchange for a nominal filing fee. Among its provisions was a five-year requirement of continuous residence before receiving the title to the land and the settlers had to be, or in the process of becoming, U.S. citizens.

The 1862 Homestead Act accelerated settlement of U.S. western territory by allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land.

Speculators could take advantage of the Homestead Act by hiring agents to file claims on their behalf.

noun. a special act of Congress (1862) that made public lands in the West available to settlers without payment, usually in lots of 160 acres, to be used as farms.

The Native Americans were gravely affected during the time of the Homestead Act. The government took their land and before they knew it their land was populated by homesteaders. The Homesteaders made camp quickly and shut out any Native Americans nearby. They would be pushed of their land and moved into reservations.

The Homestead Act proved detrimental to Native Americans, when overly optimistic advertising in Europe brought a flood of immigrants to the plains, which drove them from their homelands.

The Homestead Act endured as the driving force for many Americans and immigrants seeking the “American dream.” It transformed the West, with small farms evolving into towns and even cities, with a network of railroads, and later highways, and industry springing up as well.

The Homestead Act resulted in the near extinction of the western buffalo and had a tremendously negative impact on Native American culture.

Which is the BEST description of the effect that the Homestead Act had on the American economy in the late 1800’s? They received low wages, labored in hazardous working conditions, and lived in overcrowded areas.

To attract immigrants, the US government passed in 1862 the Homestead Act, which defined the ownership of a property of 65 hectares to those who cultivated it for five years. This law greatly increased the flow of European immigrants to the United States.

The Homestead Act of 1862 parceled out millions of acres of land to settlers. All US citizens, including women, African Americans, freed slaves, and immigrants, were eligible to apply to the federal government for a “homestead,” or 160-acre plot of land.

Blizzards, intense winds, and tornados occurred often. People were given land that was unfit to be farmed on, which made them suffer from hunger, especially during the colder months. Livestock suffered from hunger as well, as vegetation was hard to find out West.

The Homestead Act of 1862 permitted settlers to buy plots of 160 acres for a small fee if they occupied the land they purchased for five years and improved it. They thought land would be enough to sustain a farm family (rising costs to run a farm).