20 mai 1862 - Homestead Act

Description:

Allowed any American, including freed slaves to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land (favourable terms). Public land was granted to small farmers in order to encourage western expansion. It gave opportunities to many impoverished farmers from the East and Midwest. Government were trying to encourage settlement in the west in order to pursue the Manifest Destiny principle.

This caused conflict with Native Americans as it was taking away the land they roamed freely on.