US History

The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)

Migration

Law and Government

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Homestead Acts.

A map of a Minnesota “homestead township,” 1912.

A map of Montana land designated under the Homestead Acts, 1916.

A final certificate in a man’s homestead application, 1900.

A witness’ testimony for the “homestead proof” of Almanzo Wilder (husband of *Little House on the Prairie* writer Laura Ingalls Wilder), 1884. 

A witness answers questions about Wilder’s background, including citizenship, when his family established residence on their land, and how many seasons they raised crops on their land.

A pamphlet, “Montana Free Homestead Land,” published by the Great Northern Railway, 1914.

A pamphlet, “Uncle Sam Will Give You a Home In The Flathead Indian Reservation,” that describes land available in Montana, 1909.

An excerpt from *Instructions to Homesteaders and Rules Governing Homestead Entries: A Synopsis of Homestead Laws*, 1909.

A photo of a social gathering at a school for homesteaders in the Irvine Flats area of Montana, 1913.

A pamphlet advertising “railroad lands in California” as “the best wheat, fruit, grazing, vineyard and timber lands in America,” 1886.

A photo of a Finnish family posing in front of their homestead cabin, 1905.

A photo of a “homestead family,” posed outdoors.

A photo of a stagecoach that ran between towns during the Homestead Acts era, 1909.

A photo of cabins on a family homestead during the winter, circa 1925.

A photo of a family’s cabin on their homestead, 1900.

An excerpt of “Women on the Prairie,” from *Homesteading: Two Prairie Seasons*, 1918.

Questions

1. Using the [excerpt from *Homesteading*](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-homestead-acts/sources/133) by Edward West, describe how women’s roles on homesteads differed from the traditional roles of women in established towns or cities.

2. Why were railroads interested in advertising homesteading opportunities through pamphlets like the pamphlets included here?

3. Look at the [photo of a social gathering](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-homestead-acts/sources/126), as well as the two maps. What are some difficulties that homesteaders faced in forming communities or socializing? Why might forming a community be important when living on the prairie? 

4. What details does the [photo of the ‘homestead family’](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-homestead-acts/sources/129) illustrate about homesteading life?

5. Using the images, maps, and text descriptions in this set, cite specific examples of challenges homesteaders faced. Why would these men and women decide to go west? Was it worth it? Use specific evidence to prove the worthiness/unworthiness of the migration.


Activity

Using the knowledge you have gained from items in this set, design your own homesteaders’ pamphlet. What type of information do you think would be important to feature? What kinds of facts or features do you think potential homesteaders would need to know? What kinds of facts and details would recruiters not want to include about life on the frontier and why?

Teaching Guide: Exploring the Homestead Acts

Resources

1. [Boom and Bust: The Industries That Settled Montana](http://dp.la/exhibitions/exhibits/show/industries-settled-montana), Digital Public Library of America. 

2. [Teaching With Documents: The Homestead Act of 1862](http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/homestead-act/), the National Archives and Records Administration. 

3. [Primary Documents in American History: Homestead Act](https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Homestead.html), the Library of Congress. 

4. [Homestead Act](http://www.history.com/topics/homestead-act), History.com. 


Overview

The Homestead Acts—a series of federal laws passed between 1862 and 1916—granted 160-acre sections of public land, called homesteads, to Americans at very little cost. These acts were designed to provide incentives for Americans to move west. Citizens from all backgrounds, including immigrants, farmers without their own land, women, and former slaves, could apply. Successful applicants received the deed to land in exchange for spending five years farming and improving it. Approximately 270 million acres were claimed and farmed under the Homestead Act. The following documents, maps, and photos offer various perspectives on the experiences of American homesteaders during the late 1800s. 


English

The Homestead Acts

homestead-act_02_3bc568fa637738ff8391dcca4d4406a1.jpg

Courtesy of the Montana Historical Society Research Center via Big Sky Country Digital Network.

O'Hare, Daniel, “State of Montana: lands designated by the Secretary of the Interior under the provisions of the enlarged Homestead Acts,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/59322fd193cdc9e413b31e577c119839.

A map of Montana land designated under the Homestead Acts, 1916.

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 2 of 15 in the Primary Source Set The Homestead Acts