Final answer:
The Homestead Act shifted immigration patterns in the United States, encouraging settlement in the West.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Homestead Act, passed in 1862, greatly impacted immigration patterns in the United States. Under this act, the government offered cheap land to settlers who were willing to farm it for at least five years. As a result, many people from both the United States and abroad were attracted to the opportunity of owning land, which led to a significant increase in immigration to the West. Previously, the majority of immigrants had come from Europe and settled in the Northeast, but with the Homestead Act, immigration shifted towards the Western states.
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