Homestead Act

The Homestead Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1862, gave applicants title to 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River, provided that the homesteaders lived on the land continuously for five years, cultivated it, and made improvements to the property. The idea for a homesteading law had been debated for years prior to its passage, but it always faced opposition from southern congressmen, who believed that those who would take advantage of such a law would be immigrants and poor southern whites. Republicans strongly supported the measure, which promoted their ideal of “free soil, free labor, free men.” When the Civil War began in 1861, southern legislators walked out of Congress, allowing the Homestead Act to be passed easily with votes by northern congressmen.