Homestead Act - 2916 Words

I THESIS STATEMENT The Homestead Act of 1862 made surveyed lands obtainable to homesteaders. The act stated that men and women over the age of 21, unmarried women who were head of households and married men under the age of 21, who did not own over 160 acres of land anywhere, were citizens or intended on becoming citizens of the United States, were eligible to homestead. This paper will show how the Homestead Act came to be enacted, who the homesteaders were and the effects of the Homestead Act on the pioneers. II WHAT EVENTS LEAD TO THE HOMESTEAD ACT? The distribution of Government lands had been an issue since the Revolutionary War. Early methods for allocating unsettled land outside the original 13 colonies were chaotic.†¦show more content†¦With the secession of the Southern states from the Union and the removal of the slavery issue, finally in 1862, the Homestead Act was passed and signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The new law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: filing an application, improving the land, and filing for deed of title. Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land. For the next 5 years, the homesteader had to live on the land and improve it by building a 12 by 14 dwelling and growing crops. After 5 years, the homesteader could file for his patent (or deed of title) by submitting proof of residency and the required improvements to a local land office . Local land offices forwarded the paperwork to the General Land Office in Washington, DC, along with a final certificate of eligibility. The case file was examined, and valid claims were granted patent to the land free and clear, except for a small registration fee. Title could also be acquired after a 6-month residency and trivial improvements, provided the claimant paid the government $1.25 per acre. After the Civil War, Union soldiers could deduct the time they served from the residency requirements. Before the Act was repealed in 1934, over 1.6 million homestead applications were processed and more than 270Show MoreRelated Homestead Act Essays2875 Words   |  12 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The Homestead Act of 1862 made surveyed lands obtainable to homesteaders. The act stated that men and women over the age of 21, unmarried women who were head of households and married men under the age of 21, who did not own over 160 acres of land anywhere, were citizens or intended on becoming citizens of the United States, were eligible to homestead. This paper will show how the Homestead Act came to be enacted, who the homesteaders were and the effects of the Homestead Act on the pioneersRead MoreWhat The Homestead Act Is Through Its Powerpoint Slideshow And Worksheet Activities946 Words   |  4 Pagesfound a great lesson to work off of for my lesson plan on history of the Homestead Act. The original lesson was well organized but very short. I chose to focus on Domain 2 Conceptual Understandings because this lesson plan only had one assessment and I felt that the assessment was weak in whether a teacher could gage students understanding of the material. This lesson did a below a verage job of explaining what the Homestead Act is through its powerpoint slideshow and worksheet activities. I also didnRead MoreWhy People Mirgrated West to Oregon Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesPeople who had different religions and ideas such as Mormons and the main opportunity found in Oregon was land. 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