On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, opening government-owned land to small family farmers, who became known as “homesteaders.” It was a freedom opportunity for many, but also resulted in massive displacement of Native Americans and the growth of big railroad empires.
The act had two main goals: to sell off government land to ordinary citizens, and to use the land in what was considered an economically efficient manner. Previously, the U.S. government auctioned or sold public land in large lots that ordinary citizens could not afford to buy or manage. The Homestead Act was meant to favor the ordinary American, and to make assimilated citizens out of immigrants, African Americans, and, later, forced assimilation of Indians through the 1871 and 1887 Dawes Acts, supposedly for their own good.
The act gave “any person” who was the head of a family 160 acres to try farming for five years. The individual had to be at least 21 years old and was required to build a house on the property. Farmers could buy the 160 acres after six months at $1.25 an acre. Many homesteaders could not handle the hardships of frontier life and gave up before five years. If a homesteader quit, his or her land reverted back to the government and was offered to the public again. Ultimately, these lands often ended up as government property or in the hands of land speculators. If, after five years, the farmer could prove his or her homestead successful, the homesteader paid $18 for a “proved” certificate and received a deed to the land.
The Homestead Act allowed African Americans, persecuted and famine-struck immigrants, and even women a chance to seek freedom and a better life in the West. In the Reconstruction South during the 1870s, harsh racism pushed former slaves to seek refuge in the Midwest, taking advantage of the Homestead Act to try to start new lives there.
In the process, open land was turned into private property, and much of the land offered by the government was purchased by individuals acting as “fronts” for land speculators who sought access to the vast untapped mining, timber and water resources of the West.
Moreover, the beginnings of industrialization and the growing significance of railroads in the transport of goods skewed land distribution to the benefit of railroad companies. In the 10 years before passage of the Homestead Act, almost 128 million acres of land were granted to railroads, which often included the most agriculturally viable land. When land along railroad lines were opened up to the public, the land was often snapped up by speculators and later resold at high prices.
And ironically, in the search for freedom, homesteaders – and speculators – encroached on Native American territory, frequently in aggressive and bloody fashion. Many settlers and speculators began to agitate for expansion of homesteading into land that had been assigned to Indians under the 1851 Indian Appropriations Act. The government responded by stripping Indians of the last semblance of sovereignty they had by abolishing the reservation system as well as their honoring of tribes as separate entities from the United States.
Many settlers were not successful and left, but many stuck it out. The Homestead Act endured as the driving force for many Americans and immigrants seeking the “American dream.” It transformed the West, with small farms evolving into towns and even cities, with a network of railroads, and later highways, and industry springing up as well. It also triggered many conflicts between individual farmers and railroad companies who owned the majority of Western territory.
Although the act was officially repealed by Congress in 1976, one last title for 80 acres in Alaska was given to Kenneth Deardorf in 1979.
Photo: Four Chrisman sisters in front of a sod house in Goheen settlement in Custer County, Neb., 1886. All four sisters had their own separate plot of land. Like the Chrisman sisters, many women experienced autonomy in the West. Nebraska State Historical Society
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- African Americans
- history
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- National
- Native Americans
- U.S.
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People’s World is a voice for progressive change and socialism in the United States. It provides news and analysis of, by, and for the labor and democratic movements to our readers across the country and around the world.People’s World traces its lineage to theDaily Worker newspaper, founded by communists, socialists, union members, and other activists in Chicago in 1924.
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FAQs
On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, opening government-owned land to small family farmers, who became known as “homesteaders.” It was a freedom opportunity for many, but also resulted in massive displacement of Native Americans and the growth of big railroad empires.
Was the Homestead Act good or bad? ›
The Homestead Act came with many positive impacts as well as negative impacts. The government had never before offered the people free land, especially not in such large quantities either. This encouraged people to travel west, which allowed the nation and economy to grow.
How does the Homestead Act affect us today? ›
The Act also brought new people to the United States. The Homestead Act was accommodating to and encouraged immigration which added new groups to the American “melting pot.” Today, around 93,000,000 Americans are descendants of homesteaders. 1 Lee Ann Potter and Wynell Schamel.
Did the Homestead Act help poor farmers or laborers? ›
Who Benefitted From The Homestead Act? Despite grand hopes of new, free, accessible land, women, African Americans, and poor farmers weren't the ones who benefitted from the Homestead Act of 1862. The travel was hard and expensive, and so were the startup costs required to improve upon the land.
What were the failures of the Homestead Act? ›
The biggest problem with the Homestead Acts was the fact that the size of the homesteads — 160 acres — was far too small to allow for the landowners to succeed as independent farmers.
Who actually benefited from the Homestead Act? ›
Most of the land went to speculators, cattle owners, miners, loggers, and railroads. Of some 500 million acres dispersed by the General Land Office between 1862 and 1904, only 80 million acres went to homesteaders. Indeed, small farmers acquired more land under the Homestead Act in the 20th century than in the 19th.
Why did people not like the Homestead Act? ›
Southerners opposed the act on the grounds that it would result in antislavery people settling the territories. Employers argued that it would deplete the labour market, thereby increasing wages.
Is the Homestead Act of 1862 still in effect? ›
The prime land across the country was homesteaded quickly. Successful Homestead claims dropped sharply after the 1930s. The Homestead Act remained in effect until 1976, with provisions for homesteading in Alaska until 1986.
What was the major result of the Homestead Act? ›
To help develop the American West and spur economic growth, Congress passed the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided 160 acres of federal land to anyone who agreed to farm the land. The act distributed millions of acres of western land to individual settlers.
Why did the Homestead Act end? ›
The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 substantially decreased the amount of land available to homesteaders in the West. Because much of the prime land had been homesteaded decades earlier, successful Homestead claims dropped sharply after this time.
Unclaimed land — land to which no one has claimed ownership rights — and free-and-clear land doesn't exist in the United States. However, if you're willing to build a home or start a business, towns and cities in a handful of states will give you a free lot to build on.
Who lost their land because of the Homestead Act? ›
Black land loss in the United States refers to the loss of land ownership and rights by Black people residing or farming in the United States. In 1862, the United States government passed the Homestead Act.
Who is excluded from the Homestead Act? ›
Homesteaders included citizens, immigrants seeking naturalization, women, men, African Americans, and whites. American Indians, who were not recognized as U.S. citizens, were excluded.
What was negative about the Homestead Act? ›
However, there were many negative aspects of the Homestead Act. Homesteaders experienced harsh climates and poor land. They also were dealing with a lack of experience with this different climate and land, making farming extremely difficult. This led to many abandoning their homesteads before the five-year requirement.
What were three problems associated with the Homestead Act? ›
What were three problems associated with the Homestead Act? Few settlers had the money to move west; large companies took land illegally; 160 acres was not enough on which to make a living.
What was the consequence Homestead Act? ›
Homestead Act impact on American settlement and expansion
Increased land ownership: The Homestead Act made land ownership more accessible to the general population, allowing for economic mobility and the opportunity to build a better life.
Was the Homestead Act of 1862 a success or a failure? ›
As Shanks (2005) highlights, over a 76-year period there were three million homestead applicants and 1.5 million titles given (around a 50% success rate) under the 1862 Act, resulting in a total of 246 million acres of public land being transferred to US citizens (Figure 1).
What happened as a result of the Southern Homestead Act of 1866? ›
The Act opened 46 million acres of federal land in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. African Americans were granted priority access until January 1, 1867.
