Homestead Act
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: North American Series
- Categories: Government and Politics, Land Acquisition and Expansion, Territory Redistribution
- Subcategories: Laws, Acts, Legislation, Frontier, Pioneers
- Curriculum: American Civil War & Reconstruction Era (1856-1877), American Indian History
- Geographical Location: Washington, D.C.
- Date: May 20, 1862
Article abstract: Response to the demand for land in the West stimulates settlement of vast territories.
Summary of Event
The United States grew enormously between 1840 and 1860. The continental limits of the nation were reached, with the exception of Alaska, by 1854, through the acquisition of Mexican territory ceded in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) and the Gadsden Purchase (1853). The population continued its upward spiral, moving from slightly more than seventeen million in 1840 to more than thirty million in 1860. Canals, steamboats,...
[The entire page is 1307 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
