Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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On this day, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law, opening the door for thousands of Americans to claim land in the West. The law offered settlers the chance to own 160 acres of federal land at little cost—provided they lived on it and made improvements. The act sparked a wave of westward migration and played a key role in shaping the American frontier.

🔗 Explore a primary source activity on the Homestead Act:
billofrightsinstitute.org/activities/the-homestead-act-of-1862

#ThisDayInHistory #HomesteadAct #Lincoln #WestwardExpansion #AmericanFrontier #USHistory #19thCenturyAmerica #ushistory