may 20, 1862 - Homestead Act

Description:

The Homestead Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, providing 160 acres of public land for a small fee to any adult who had not taken up arms against the U.S. government, contingent upon five years of continuous residence and the cultivation of the land. This act aimed to encourage Western migration, significantly impacting American agricultural development and settlement patterns by allowing thousands of families to establish farms and communities on new frontiers.

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