I will assume you mean the Homestead Act of 1862, which was the first and most iconic one. In that case, the requirements were that the homesteader, the one filing the claim, be either the head of the household OR twenty-one years old, they had to live only on the designated land, build a home, improve it, and farm the land for five years, and, finally, they had to be a United States citizen that had never taken up arms against America.
Old Light preachers believed that religion should be practiced in a rational way, New Light preachers propagated emotion in religion.
They were passing through on their way to the West Coast.
During the American Revolution, American society was divided between two groups. One group wanted to revolt against the British and become independent. Another group, known as loyalists, wanted to remain under the control of Great Britain.
With this in mind, it is easy to understand the fact that a loyalist would try to sabotage any efforts by the American colonists to break free from Great Britain. Along with this, loyalists would share inside information with the British military so that they would be aware of the rebels plans.
The overall tone of Lewis' speech was angry and strong. For some, the speech sounded too belligerent. John Lewis changed parts of his speech at the request of Martin Luther King, Jr. Lewis said he could not say no to King because King was his hero, his inspiration.
The part where Lewis said they cannot wholeheartedly support the administration's civil rights bill for it is too little and too late was removed from his revised speech.
Lewis' original speech "We will march through the South, through the heart of Dixie, the way Sherman did" was changed to "we will march with the spirit of love and with the spirit of dignity that we have shown here today"
