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journal article That Settles It: The Debate and Consequences of the Homestead Act of 1862The History Teacher Vol. 45, No. 1 (November 2011) , pp. 117-137 (21 pages) Published By: Society for History Education https://www.jstor.org/stable/41304034 Read and download Log in through your school or library Alternate access options For independent researchers Read Online Read 100 articles/month free Subscribe to JPASS Unlimited reading + 10 downloads Purchase issue $16.00 - Download now and later Journal Information The History Teacher is the most widely recognized journal in the United States devoted to more effective teaching of history in pre-collegiate schools, community colleges and universities. Publisher Information The Society for History Education, Inc., an affiliate of the American Historical Association, supports all disciplines in history education with practical and insightful professional analyses of traditional and innovative teaching techniques. Rights & Usage
This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. To help develop the American West and spur economic growth, Congress passed the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided 160 acres of federal land to anyone who agreed to farm the land. The act distributed millions of acres of western land to individual settlers. Until the Civil War, opposition from Southern legislators, who feared homesteaders would work to prevent slavery in new territories, and some Northern legislators, who feared the cheap land would lower property values and lure laborers west, prevented passage of the legislation. But with the dramatic departure of the Southern senators in 1861, supporters finally succeeded. Similar legislation, the Southern Homestead Act of 1866, offered the same promise to loyal Southerners and freedmen who could settle public lands. Passage of these acts encouraged farming of more land during the war years and continued to do so for decades to come. By 1890 the federal government had granted 373,000 homesteads on some 48 million acres of undeveloped land. Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land. After six months of residency, homesteaders also had the option of purchasing the land from the government for $1.25 per acre. The Homestead Act led to the distribution of 80 million acres of public land by 1900.
Homestead ActSigned into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land. After six months of residency, homesteaders also had the option of purchasing the land from the government for $1.25 per acre. The Homestead Act led to the distribution of 80 million acres of public land by 1900. Library of Congress Web Site | External Web Sites | Selected Bibliography Digital Collections A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress
America's Library
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Today in History
Selected Bibliography
Younger Readers
What was the impact of the Homestead Act quizlet?Households gained 160 acres of land that they were required to improve. Western migration was more affordable. Immigrants moved west and settled together in communities. When southern states seceded from the Union, northern Republicans controlled Congress and they were able to pass expansion laws.
What was the result of the Homestead Act?Passed on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act accelerated the settlement of the western territory by granting adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and five years of continuous residence on that land.
How does the Homestead Act affect American settlers and Native Americans?The Homestead Act increased the number of people in the western United States. Most Native Americans watched the arrival of homesteaders with unease. As more settlers arrived, they found themselves pushed farther from their homelands or crowded onto reservations.
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