Answer:
1) What was the purpose of this act?
- The purpose of Homestead Act of 1862 is to give public land to people settling in the West.
2) What is meant by the term "public domain"?
- Public domain is owned by the public and for the general use of the public.
3) Who is entitled to secure a grant of land from the Federal government? Can women secure such a grant in their own names, and if so, how?
- The following can secure a grant of land from the Federal government: Head of the family, twenty-one years old, American citizen. Women could also own land if they were a widow or if they were divorced.
4) What is the largest amount of land a person can secure from the Federal government through this act?
- 160 acres was the largest amount of land a person could secure from the Federal government through the Homestead Act.
5) How would one go about applying for land under the act (filing affidavit)?
- One would go about applying by paying a $10 dollar fee = 5 years residential land, land available for purchase.
6) How long would have to wait in between filing an affidavit and securing final title to the land one settled? What did a settler need to do in the meantime?
- One would have to wait 5 years in between filing an affidavit and securing the final title to the land one settled. In the meantime, the settler would have to prove he was using it.
7) How much per acre did land under the Homestead Act cost?
- Land under the homestead act cost $1.25 per acre.
8) The Homestead Act was meant to ensure that United States citizens who actually wanted to farm the land were the recipients of the government's largess. Who else might have wanted to profit from this deal, and how? How is the law trying to prevent various abuses?
- Contractors to build houses to sell them; businesses might be interested in buying to build more. Residency requirements make it difficult for non-farmers to use the land.