Homestead Acts
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The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than 160 mil
Norwegian settlers in North Dakota, 1898
Certificate of homestead in Nebraska given under the Homestead Act, 1862
Typical STA "Jackrabbit" homestead cabin remains in Wonder Valley, California
Dugout home from a homestead near Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940
Homestead principle
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The homestead principle is the principle by which one gains ownership of an unowned natural resource by performing an act of original appropriation. Appropriation could be enacted by putting an unowne
Homestead Acts
…of the United States, were given away free to 1.6 million homesteaders; most of the homesteads were west of the Mississippi River. An extension of the homestead principle in law, the Homestead Acts were an expression of the Free Soil policy of Northerners who wanted individual farmers to own and operate their own farms…
Under the homestead principle a farmer putting unowned land to use gains ownership over it