Question

If you were a poor new immigrant, would you have been a homesteader in the 1800’s? Why or why not?

Answer 1

The Homestead Act, enacted during the Civil War in 1862, provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land. Claimants were required to “improve” the plot by building a dwelling and cultivating the land.