On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law. The act allowed eligible settlers to claim parcels of public land, typically 160 acres, if they lived on and improved the land for a set period. The policy encouraged migration to the Great Plains and western territories. Many families saw homesteading as a path to land ownership and economic independence. The act also intensified pressure on Native American lands, as more settlers moved west. Over time, the Homestead Act played a major role in shaping the rural landscape of the central and western United States.
