Acts Flashcards
when was the homestead act
1862
what was it designed to do
encourage western settlement
what did the act promise
160 acres of land to farm in for 5 years
what had to be done in the 5 years (3)
1) build a house
2) build farm
3) buy whole homestead at the end
how many acres of land claimed by 1876
6 million
how many acres were eventually settled
80 million
what was the most successfully settled area
Nebraska
what were the limitations/ disadvantages of the act(3)
1) land was difficult to farm in
2) not all family’s lasted the 5 years
3) 60% of homestead claims were never fully purchased due to rough conditions
when was the Pacific Railroad Act
1862
what did the northern states do for the PRA
build a railroad in the north from California to New York
how did they persuade the railroad companies to build it
gave them 45 million acres of land in Kansas and Nebraska
what did railroad companies do with the land and who did it attract
sell it to homesteaders
Germans and Scandinavians were interested
why did farmer families want to buy land near the railroad
reduce isolation and transport goods and animals
what developed around the railroads
cowtowns , towns with businesses developed
manifest destiny achieved
when was the Indian Removal Act
1830
