In the decades after the Civil War, thousands of farmers moved west into the Great Plains taking advantage of the cheap land provided by the Homestead Act. The act was signed by Abraham Lincoln on May 20th, 1862 to encourage Western migration. Under the act, settlers over the age of 21 could receive title to 162 acres of western land if they would build a house at least 12 by 14-feet in size and if they worked their land for five years.

Its impacts on the people and the future of the United States.

The idea of owning land prompted many people to file applications under the Homestead Act of 1862. Life was not easy; few understood or knew the difficulties they would face, from prairie fires to blizzards, drought, tornadoes, grasshoppers and more. 60% of all those who tried to become farmers failed, and some returned to the city. For others, there was nothing to return to, so they had to struggle and learn to survive. Those who managed to stay on their homesteads created an agricultural empire for a growing nation.

From the first homestead claimed by Daniel Freeman on January 1st, 1863, to the last homestead Kenneth Deardorff - who received that land patent in 1988 – the impact of the Homestead Act is still felt today. It is worth asking what the true cost was of giving up 270 million acres of public land, about 10 percent of the nation's land area, to private ownership.

For the prairie, the result of homesteading has been harsh; the land which for thousands of years remained intact has all disappeared in a few decades. Today, only small remnants of the once vast prairies remain. The American Indians, whose culture and way of life revolved around their connection to the land, have also been severely affected. Some tribes were moved from their ancestral lands to reservations, while others had their lands greatly reduced to make way for increasing colonization; the American Indians had no choice but to comply, at a very high cost.

The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most important and lasting events in the westward expansion of the United States. The Homestead Act also helped fuel the Industrial Age, as the ever-increasing need for goods in the West inspired the invention, production, and delivery of those goods. Farm equipment quickly moved from the use of hand tools to what we see today.

Life on the farm became easier with inventions like electricity, refrigerators, and indoor plumbing. One thing all homesteaders had in common was their desire for a better life for themselves and their children. During the 124 years of the Homestead Act, more than two million people filed homestead applications. Among these two million people, about 783,000, or 40 percent, have been successful. They met all of the government's requirements and were granted the patent for their property.

Today, over 90 million people are descendants of homesteaders. The Homestead Act of 1862 had a significant impact on the history of the United States.

Sources: National Park Service, History, Britannica, Archives, Khan Academy