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.

Teaching Guide: Exploring 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 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.

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_13_98018da24bdb1e37094cd4c8cd12c697.jpg

Courtesy of Uintah County (UT) Library via Mountain West Digital Library.

“Offield Homestead,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/f3842963daaf4a9d871b346848ef807e.

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

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 13 of 15 in the Primary Source Set The Homestead Acts