President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act of 1862 on May 20, 1862.
The Homestead Act was created to increase settlement in the western United States. It opened up millions of acres of land owned by the federal government to those desiring to establish individual farms.
The Act provided an individual who was the head of the household and at least 21-years-old with 160 acres. The homesteader had to build a house on the land and make an attempt at farming.
After six months, the homesteader could purchase the land for $1.25 an acre. If the homesteader successfully farmed the land for five years, they would receive the land for free after paying an $18 filing fee.
Many homesteaders gave up on farming due to the harsh conditions of the frontier at the time. When they gave up prior to the five-year mark, the 160-acres was taken back by the federal government and provided to a new homesteader.
Similar Homestead Acts were proposed prior the 1862 Act. Other than the Donation Land Act of 1850, which provided land in the Oregon Territory, the Acts were defeated by southern Democrats who feared that an increase in settlement in U.S. Territories would result in the territories being admitted into the Union as free states.
Where Roofs and Streets Become One: Iran’s Village of Sar Agha Seyed
Agha Seyed is a village in Miankuh-e Moguyi Rural District, in the Central District of Kuhrang County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 1,360, in 208 families. The village is populated by Lurs. The village is named after Aqa Seyyed shrine.
