Homesteaders (Farmers)
Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862, after the southern states had left the Union. Signed into law by Abraham Lincoln, the new law provided that a citizen could claim 160 acres (one quarter of a square mile) of surveyed government land for free. The only qualification was that a homesteader had to be a head of household at least 21 years of age. Homesteaders had to “prove up” (improve) the land in order to keep their claim, free and clear. Proving up the land included building a home, growing crops, and living on the land for five years. After completing these requirements, homesteaders became the legal owners of the land.
The first wave of homesteaders after the Civil War hailed mostly from the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. They were joined by eastern farmers without land of their own, war widows and other single women, and former slaves. Later, railroad companies encouraged European immigrants to come to America and become homesteaders. The railroads hoped to profit by giving farmers and ranchers a way to ship their crops and livestock to market. More than 15,000 African Americans (known as Exoduses) moved to Kansasafter racially tensions worsened in the South.
The impact of the Homestead Act is still felt today. One important impact was on the environment. In the mid 1800s, great herds of grazing buffalo roamed the plains. The buffalo all but disappeared as they were killed by settlers and starved by dwindling grazing lands. Also, as wheat farms replaced grasslands, the soil became susceptible to powdering during droughts. Heavy winds in the area evolved into violent dust storms.
Homesteaders (Farmers)
Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862, after the southern states had left the Union. Signed into law by Abraham Lincoln, the new law provided that a citizen could claim 160 acres (one quarter of a square mile) of surveyed government land for free. The only qualification was that a homesteader had to be a head of household at least 21 years of age. Homesteaders had to “prove up” (improve) the land in order to keep their claim, free and clear. Proving up the land included building a home, growing crops, and living on the land for five years. After completing these requirements, homesteaders became the legal owners of the land.
The first wave of homesteaders after the Civil War hailed mostly from the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. They were joined by eastern farmers without land of their own, war widows and other single women, and former slaves. Later, railroad companies encouraged European immigrants to come to America and become homesteaders. The railroads hoped to profit by giving farmers and ranchers a way to ship their crops and livestock to market. More than 15,000 African Americans (known as Exoduses) moved to Kansas after racially tensions worsened in the South.
The impact of the Homestead Act is still felt today. One important impact was on the environment. In the mid 1800s, great herds of grazing buffalo roamed the plains. The buffalo all but disappeared as they were killed by settlers and starved by dwindling grazing lands. Also, as wheat farms replaced grasslands, the soil became susceptible to powdering during droughts. Heavy winds in the area evolved into violent dust storms.