1. The Homestead Act of 1862 Emily, Sebastian, Lilan, Abraham

2. Basically Basic Info ●The first of a series of federal laws involving ownership of land, The Homestead Act of 1862 consisted of grants of 160 acres of unappropriated (not allocated, assigned, or taken into possession) federal land within the boundaries of public land states. ●As long as you were 21 years of age (or the head of a family) and had never taken up arms against the U.S. government you could purchase 160 acres for $1.25/acre, or 80 acres for $2.50/acre. ●The law required a three step procedure: 1) File an application 2) Improve the land and 3) File for deed of title.

3. Who It Helped ●The Homestead Act carried over ideals involving Yeoman Farmers from the Jeffersonian Democracy. As a result, the Homestead Act was designed to increase the number of “virtuous yeoman” farmers. ●The intent was to make the land available to independent farmers rather than slave owning wealthy planters who would have likely developed the land with slaves and pushed the yeoman farmers onto marginal lands.

4. Who It Helped cont. ●Many European Immigrants and Freed Slaves signed the Homestead Act, seeing it as an opportunity to become a successful homesteader. ●The lure of free land led many Europeans to immigrate, particularly after economic depression and crop failures. ●Over time the mechanization of American agriculture led to the replacement of homesteads with a small number of much larger farms.

5. Poor Unfortunate Souls ●Native Americans could either relocate, assimilate, or face genocide ●The Homestead Act did not provide the new beginning for urban slum dwellers that many had hoped. Few had the funds or resources to start farming, even on free land. ●Most Southern Democrats had continually fought and defeated previous Homestead Acts as they feared that such acts would only attract European Immigrants and poor Southern whites. After they seceded they no longer served as a source of opposition.

6. Impact: Negative and Positive Effects Positive ●Granted 160 acres of land ●Encouraged expansion Westward. ●Silver, Gold Timber and oil became popular. ●Traveling to the West coast came with easier shipping routes. Negative ●Traveling into unknown land. ●Traveling Westward had come with problems, starving livestock, extreme weather and hunger. ●The law would hasten the settlement of western territory, ultimately adding to the number and political influence of the free states. ●Kicking people out of their own land. PositiveNegative