Question

The Homestead Act offered land for a nominal fee (very low price) and encouraged people to move to the West to begin farming. Settlers were attracted by the prospect of legal ownership of property. a) True b) False

Answer 1

The Homestead Act offered land for a nominal fee and encouraged people to move to the West to begin farming. Therefore, option (a) is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

True, The Homestead Act did indeed offer land for a nominal fee, which spurred the movement of people, specifically Northern farmers, to move to the West. The Federal government provided these 160 acres of federal land to settlers who would reside on the property for five years with the intention to improve it. This act was passed by Republicans in Congress in 1862 with dual objectives: to increase agricultural output for the Civil War effort and to propagate an anti-slavery, free-labor sentiment in the newly settled western territories.

However, life for these settlers was fraught with challenges. The Homestead Act land was often arid and difficult to farm, lacking in necessary building materials, and susceptible to harsh weather conditions. High railroad freight costs and high-interest bank loans added to the settlers' hardships. Despite the harsh conditions, the vision of owning land and the dream of prosperity guided many settlers towards the West. Therefore, option (a) is correct.

Learn more about Homestead Act