The West Flashcards
Results of homestead act of 1862
By 1934, over 1.6 million homestead applications were processed claiming 270 million acres of land. That accounted for 10% of all US lands. Only 40% of people who received land grants were able to keep their land
Homestead act of 1862
1862(Lincoln’s 1st term)
Why: settle the west
Offered 160 acres of land to any citizen who was head of their household. They had to live on the land for 5 years and make improvements to the land. After 5 years, they could apply for title to the land.
Morrill act of 1862
1862 to establish colleges
This law gave federal land to help finance agricultural colleges. Each state received 30,000 acres of land for each member of congress they had. The states would sell the land and use that money to find colleges that focused on agriculture.
Result of the morrill act of 1862
Led to the creation of numerous universities such as Texas a&m, university of Tennessee, Cornell, and MIT
Transcontinental railroad 1863-1869
To provide a faster route to the west coast.
The Union Pacific and central pacific railroads set out to build a train line that would meet in promontory point, Utah. Irish, Mormons, Chinese, and other nationalities helped to accomplish one of the most difficult tasks in American history.
Combined the companies laid over 1,800 miles of track
Result of Transcontinental railroad 1863-1869
It shortened trips to the west greatly. It led to the growth of towns, established new markets, and offered new opportunities for Americans
Dawes act of 1887
Why: to americanize natives
This act broke up the reservations and gave the land to individual native Americans (80+160 acre plots). The remaining land was sold to settlers with the profits used to buy farming implements for natives.
Result of the Dawes act of 1887
Destroyed the Native American life. It ended the reservation system and native Americans never received money from the sale of their lands
