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New canals and roadways reduced western dependence on the harbor in New Orleans, and England's repeal of its corn laws opened new markets to American agriculture.ĭespite these developments, legislative efforts to improve homesteading laws faced opposition on multiple fronts. Economic prosperity drew unprecedented numbers of immigrants to America, many of whom also looked westward for a new life. After the war with Mexico, a number of developments supported the growth of the homestead movement. Eastern economic interests opposed this policy as it was feared that the cheap labor base for the factories would be drained. Prior to the war with Mexico (1846–48), people settling in the West demanded “preemption,” an individual's right to settle land first and pay later (essentially an early form of credit). Displaced farmers then looked westward to unforested country that offered more affordable development. In the 1830s and 1840s, rising prices for corn, wheat, and cotton enabled large, well-financed farms, particularly the plantations of the South, to force out smaller ventures. But basically, national public-land-use policy made land ownership financially unattainable for most would-be homesteaders.īefore and after the Mexican-American war in the mid 1800s, popular pressure to change policy arose from the evolving economy, new demographics, and shifting social climate of early 19th-century America. Soon after, extraordinary bonuses were extended to veterans and those interested in settling the Oregon Territory, making homesteading a viable option for some. Lots that had been on the market for 30 years, for example, were reduced to 12 ½ cents per acre. That year, federal legislation was enacted establishing a graduated scale that adjusted land prices to reflect the desirability of the lot. The investment needed to purchase these large plots and the massive amount of physical labor required to clear the land for agriculture were often insurmountable obstacles.īy 1800, the minimum lot was halved to 320 acres, and settlers were allowed to pay in 4 installments, but prices remained fixed at $1.25 an acre until 1854.
#Whats on the act full
Initially, an individual was required to purchase a full section of land at the cost of $1 per acre for 640 acres.
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Sale of public land was viewed as a means to generate revenue for the Government rather than as a way to encourage settlement. The township was divided into 36 sections, each measuring 1 square mile or 640 acres each. Using astronomical starting points, territory was divided into a 6-mile square called a township prior to settlement. The Land Ordinance of 1785 finally implemented a standardized system of Federal land surveys that eased boundary conflicts. As a result, overlapping claims and border disputes were common. Boundaries were established by stepping off plots from geographical landmarks. Early methods for allocating unsettled land outside the original 13 colonies were arbitrary and chaotic. At the time of the Articles of Confederation, the major controversy related to land measurement and pricing. The distribution of Government lands had been an issue since the Revolutionary War. At the time of the signing, 11 states had left the Union, and this piece of legislation would continue to have regional and political overtones. In doing so, Freeman became one of the first to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Homestead Act, a law signed by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862. At a New Year's Eve party the night before, Freeman met some local Land Office officials and convinced a clerk to open the office shortly after midnight in order to file a land claim. On January 1, 1863, Daniel Freeman, a Union Army scout, was scheduled to leave Gage County, Nebraska Territory, to report for duty in St. Students will explore a variety of documents to get a sense of the issues faced by Native Americans due to settlement and U.S. The Impact of Westward Expansion on Native American Communities on DocsTeach asks students to examine the impact of westward expansion and settlement on Native American communities following the Civil War.