Homestead Act

The Homestead act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862. It encouraged folks to move west by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders had to  paid a small filing fee and had to live on the land for five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land. After six months of living on the land homesteaders could purchase the land from the government for $1.25 per acre. The Homestead Act led to the distribution of 80 million acres of public land by 1900.

• General Information

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/civil/homested_1

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may20.html 

http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/index.htm

• Documentation of the Act

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=31#_

•  Photos

http://www.nps.gov/home/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm

 

• Fun Stuff

http://americanhistory2.si.edu/ourstoryinhistory/tryonline/buildsodhouse.html

http://www.nps.gov/home/forkids/upload/coloring%20book%205-22-06.pdf