Homestead Act

When and who created the Homestead Act?

Lincoln in 1862 (This is a congressional act though)

What is a congressional act?

An act passed by congress

For a small fee how many acres could you own?

160

Was it free?

Not really free because you had to follow some rules and also pay a small amount to do it

What were the rules?

You have to be 21 years or older, head of the family, an American citizen or an immigrant with citizenship, build a house between (12ft by 14ft), live in the house for 6 months, and farm your land for 5 years before you could own it.

What was an effect of the homestead act?

Helped poor families, gave unemployed people a chance to find a job on their land, thousands of African Americans moved west in 1879 to find a better life (Exodusters or the Exodus of 1879)

Why did African Americans want to travel west except for the free land in the 1870’s?

The compromise of 1877 got rid of African American protection so the K.K.K ended up coming back again

What is a Soddy?

A freestanding house made from blocks of prairie turf that were shelters for pioneers and settlers.

What did Morrill Acts do?

Gave federal land to states to help finance agricultural colleges, gave support to farmers by funding agricultural education, gave land and sold it to finance schools and teach future farmers.

Bonanza Farms were what?

Enormous single crop spreads of 15,000-50,000 acres, owned by railroad companies, there was equipment for the farms, investors gave money to the farms to profit from it, and the investors took the risk for it.

What are some pull factors of the west?

New start, free land, railroads, farming, and the ability to build your own community

Pull factors for African Americans

Free Land, Jobs, a new start, and freedoms not restricted

Push factors

Poverty, dangerous, lack of jobs, overpopulation, and not equal as women, older child gets inheritance

Push factors for African Americans

KKK, segregation, freedoms restricted

Effects of land grants being given to the railroads

Shipped stuff back and forth, they wanted money so they would sell land for cheap, and it brought a large number of immigrants to the west

Homestead Act effects

Influenced many families to move west and helped many territories gain statehood

Inventions effects

Inventions made daily tasks easier and faster, made grain and other produce more available in the market, and made produce decrease in price because of how much was being made

Morrill land grants effects

Gave African, native americans, and farmers a chance at a better education for agriculture, mechanics, and new trades/professions

Hardships for settlers

Harsh conditions in winter, danger of raids by native Americans, dry years, and farmers gained debt

Positives and negatives of a Soddy

P: resources were available, warm in the winter, cool in the summer, fireproof. N: they were very small, had little to no light or air, prone to being a haven for snakes and pests, and leaked when it rained

What was life like for women on the prarie

Endless, alone, super humanly self sufficient, had to help in the fields, sheared sheep to make clothing, hauled water, skilled in doctoring, and sponsored schools.

Major positive for woman

They were equal in the fields and could vote and hold places in political office

Which state gave women the right to vote first

Wyoming

How did farmers gain more debt

They bought more machines and took out loans, overproduction, and tried buying more land

Why did farmers hate the railroads

Because of how high the cost was to ship things, the cost for grain, and how short hauls costed more than long hauls