1 ene 1863 año - Homestead Act

Descripción:

Who: Settlers, U.S.
What: Government sells 160 acres for 1.25/acre. Citizens must improve the land, build a dwelling & remain for 5 years. Then the land was theirs. Leads to Land Rushes, back to Jeffersonian fantasy, most are not farmers but are land speculators or failed businessmen. Terrible drought and swarms of locusts.
Where: Midwest
Why: It rapidly accelerated Westward Expansion and was a continuation of Thomas Jefferson's "yeoman farmer" ideal of society. The government was essentially giving away Native American lands and would contribute to further disputes.