What did the Homestead Act of 1862 provide to settlers?

• A. Loans to start businesses
• B. 160 acres of land
• C. Free education for children
• D. A passage to the West

Answer: (B)

The Homestead Act of 1862 was significant legislation that aimed to encourage settlement in the American West. It provided 160 acres of public land to settlers who met certain conditions. To receive the land, settlers were required to be 21 years of age or older, build a dwelling, and cultivate the land for a minimum of five years. This act was a pivotal part of westward expansion and offered many individuals and families the opportunity to own land and establish farms, which contributed to the development of agriculture in the newly settled territories.

The motivations behind the Homestead Act included a desire to populate the West, promote agricultural development, and fulfill the idea of Manifest Destiny, which held that the United States was destined to expand across the continent.