The Homestead Acts are a group of federal laws that gave ownership of land, called a “homestead,” at little or no cost, to people who applied for it. The original Homestead Act of 1862 was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. Applicants had to be the head of a household or at least 21 years old. They had to live on the land, build a home, make “improvements” on the land, and farm it for a minimum of five years. The intent was to grant land for agriculture, but the law was abused, and much land fell into the hands of land speculators. Still, the Homestead Acts have always been thought of as a good thing by mainstream Americans. A lot of people in my generation grew up watching Westerns on TV, where the trials and tribulations of the white settlers were highly romanticized.
