Final answer:
The Homestead Act was enacted to promote frontier settlement in the western territories and prevent the expansion of slavery. It allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of federal land by residing on and improving the property.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Homestead Act was enacted by the Republicans in Congress in 1862 to encourage frontier settlement in the newly settled western territories and prevent the expansion of slavery. The act allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of federal land by residing on the property for five years and improving it. It aimed to increase agricultural output for the war effort and provide opportunities for free-labor farmers to move west.
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