Question

What was the purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862

Answer 1

Signed into law in May 1862, the Homestead Act opened up settlement in the western United States, allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. By the end of the Civil War, 15,000 homestead claims had been established, and more followed in the postwar years.

Answer 2

The purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862 was to encourage settlers to settle in the west- which at the time was severely underpopulated. It did this by offering land to people  (for a very small fee) if they were ready to settle in the West of United States.