Homestead Act

In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act to open government lands to settlement, primarily those west of the Mississippi River. Most of the available land lay [Page 304]in the arid territory west of the ninety-eighth meridian. Small farms of 160 acres could be purchased for $1.25 per acre, with an initial filing fee due at the time of initial selection. The remainder of the money was due after five years of mandatory residence and improvement on the land.

Although the terms of purchase seemed generous, the actualities of life on a homestead claim required an initial investment for animals, equipment, and seed. For immigrants, the challenge often required financing with high interest rates. By 1880, much of the land located near water and wood sources had already been claimed by Civil War veterans and emigrants from eastern states. Immigrants often purchased their land from speculators or railroad companies for slightly higher prices. Enterprising town developers also recruited in Europe through pamphlets, brochures, and newspaper advertisements. Through the 1880s, homestead claims rose correspondingly with increasing numbers of immigrants. The act did not require U.S. citizenship for purchase as long as the homesteader declared his or her intent to become a citizen in the future. It also allowed women to claim 160 acres as heads of their household. Many families acquired larger farms by using older daughters and sons to homestead claims adjacent to their parents' claims.

Homesteading immigrants played an important role in the development of crops on the semiarid plains. German Russians brought hard red wheat that developed into the staple grain crop of homesteaders in the arid West. Government regulations attempted to prevent blocs of immigrants from settling together and forming isolated communities, but many managed to preserve their native language, customs, and religion until World War I. Residents of the Dakota Territories and Nebraska filed the most claims under the Homestead Act and corresponding legislation such as the Timber CultureAct. Between 1868 and 1904, more than 700,000 claims were filed by farmers on almost 97 million acres of government land. Railroad companies and speculators were granted or purchased the bulk of available land, which totaled around 400 million acres.