Final answer:
The U.S. government passed the Homestead Act to promote the settlement of the West.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law that the U.S. government passed to promote the settlement of the West was the Homestead Act. This act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 and provided 160 acres of public land to any adult citizen or intended citizen who agreed to improve the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops.
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