The Homestead Act was a series of laws that were passed that allowed individuals and families to acquire federal land easily at little to no cost. This created an economic incentive for individuals to move Westward or to inhabit "empty" federal lands that had not been bought or were uncontrolled by other individuals. The goal was to create "homesteads" in uninhabited lands so that the lands would be populated by families and individuals.
Answer:The Homestead Act of 1862 was an act that took effect on January 1863 which granted 160 acres of public land to anyone that paid a small fee and agreed to work on the land and improve it on 5 years.
This Act helped the westward expansion because many people moved west and were able to buy land for cheap prices and build a home and live from the land.
