The Homestead Act (USA)

The Homestead Act of 1862 was a U.S. law that encouraged westward expansion by granting 160 acres of public land to settlers who filed an application, improved the land (by building or farming), and lived on it for five years. It aimed to promote settlement and development of the western frontier, offering land ownership to ordinary individuals, including farmers and pioneers, with the goal of fostering economic growth and national expansion. The act significantly shaped American settlement patterns and the distribution of land during the 19th century.