The Homestead Act was one of the most revolutionary laws for distributing
public land in world history. Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862, after
the southern states had left the Union. Signed into law by Abraham Lincoln, the
act took effect on January 1, 1863. The new law released vast amounts of
“unoccupied” public property to private citizens.
The Homestead Act allowed hundreds of thousands of settlers to become property
owners. It also changed the face of the West. Let’s look at how the act worked,
the lives of homesteaders, and the lasting impact of this far-reaching law.
How the Homestead Act Worked
The Homestead Act provided that a citizen or intended citizen could claim 160
acres (one quarter of a square mile) of surveyed government land. The only
qualification was that a homesteader had to be a head of household at least 21
years of age.
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.
People interested in homesteading first had to file their intentions at the
nearest land office. The homesteader paid a filing fee of $10 to claim a parcel
of land and a $2 commission to the land agent.
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.
Changes in the Homestead Act continued through the 19th century, especially
with the addition of Alaskan land. In 1934, the Taylor Grazing Act
substantially decreased the amount of land available to homesteaders in the
West. But the Homestead Act remained in effect until it was repealed in 1976.
Provisions for homesteading in Alaska continued until 1986.
The Homesteading Life
By 1900, homesteaders had filed 600,000 claims for 80 million acres of land.
Most pioneers settled on the western plains in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado,
Wyoming, Montana, and Dakota Territory. The majority became farmers. Some
homesteaders bought additional land and ranched.
The lenient rules of the Homestead Act contributed to the undoing of many
settlers. Homesteaders did not need to own equipment or know anything about
farming. Many were unprepared for the challenges of life on the plains. In some
places, there was not enough water available for small claims to support a
family. In many locations timber was scarce, so settlers built homes of sod.
These mud huts barely protected people from hailstorms, drought, prairie fires,
blizzards, and relentless wind. From 1874 to 1877, swarms of locusts darkened
the western skies, consuming crops.
Human battles were equally challenging. Early homesteaders lived in fear of
Native Americans fighting for their lands. Although Indian attacks were rare,
settlers had to depend on the U.S. Army for protection. Farmers faced heavy
debt, lack of cash, and high fees for rail transportation and grain storage.
When prices dropped, farmers sank deeper into debt.
In
some areas, ranchers resisted dividing up the open range for farms.
Eventually, frame and brick houses replaced the sod. Trees grew high to shield
dwellings, and windmills pumped water from deep underground. Technological
advances helped make farming profitable. Yet crises continued for many farmers,
leading to protests and political action in the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s.
The homestead life is depicted in the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder
(1867–1957), who grew up on homesteads. Her books later became the basis for
the television show “Little House on the Prairie.” Homesteaders are also the
subject of a “living history” center, the Homestead National Monument, in
southeast Nebraska.
The Lasting Impact
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. In their place came non-native species of
cattle and sheep imported by homesteaders. The native grasslands of the
prairies were replaced by rows of corn.
While settlers benefited from the Homestead Act, the native peoples of the West
suffered dearly. The Homestead Act was based on the idea that the land was,
legally speaking, “unoccupied.” Of course, Native Americans had lived on the
prairies for thousands of years. Indians saw their land taken by the government
and their primary food source (buffalo) destroyed. Many died fighting to defend
their way of life. Others were forced to live on reservations.
Native Americans had viewed the land as a good to be shared by all. This view
gave way to the concept of private property. Thousands of miles of open space
became a patchwork of farms and ranches, crisscrossed first by rails and then
by highways. Settlements and forts became towns and cities. Today we can only
imagine the endless view of open land that greeted homesteaders just 150 years
ago.
Enrichment Activity
Answer these questions:
| 1.
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How did the Homestead Act work?
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| 2. |
What three words best describe the lives of homesteaders? What
evidence best supports your choice of each of the three words you chose? |
| 3.
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What were several of the lasting effects of the Homestead Act?
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| 4.
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Imagine you are a representative in Congress serving at the time
the Homestead Act was debated. If you could go back in time and vote for or
against the act, how would you vote? Explain your vote to white settlers and to
Native Americans living at the time. |
