The correct answer is D) the settlement of unpopulated areas.
The Homestead Act of 1862 was passed to encourage the settlement of unpopulated areas.
This act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862. The Act supported Western migration to unpopulated territories. The government wanted people to settle in those territories and it provided 160 acres of public land if people paid a filing fee. Another requisite was that the settlers stay in the western lands for five continuous years in order to get their ownership of the land. So yes, The Homestead Act of 1862 was passed to encourage the settlement of unpopulated areas.