Final answer:
To get land under the Homestead Act, settlers had to improve the land within five years of taking possession.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Homestead Act, settlers were required to “improve the land” within a period of five years of taking possession in order to get land. This could include clearing a few acres, building small houses or barns, or maintaining livestock. The government transferred over 270 million acres of public domain land to private citizens through this act.