Morrill Land-Grant Acts

The Morrill Land-Grant Acts were federal laws passed in 1862 and 1890 that provided states with land to fund the creation of colleges focused on agriculture, engineering, and practical sciences. States sold the land to raise money for these institutions, making higher education more accessible to a wider population, especially in rural areas. These land-grant colleges and universities aimed to promote education that benefited everyday life and supported economic development. Today, many well-known public universities, like Iowa State and Georgia Tech, trace their origins to these acts.