8
This list describes selected features of the Homestead Act of 1862.
• Adult citizens were granted 160 acres of public land.
• People claiming the land were required to improve
the land by building a home and farming the land.
• After 5 years on the land, the person claiming the
land paid a registration fee and officially owned
the land.
What was one effect of the act described in this list?
F The population of settlers in the American West increased.
G The debt of the federal government increased.
H The number of conflicts with American Indians decreased.
J The demand for natural resources decreased.