Homesteaders
As the population of America consistently increased in the 1800’s, the availability of land in the eastern part of the country steadily decreased. This caused the price of what was available to significantly increase. These factors, among many others, played significant roles in initiating westward expansion in America.
Homesteaders came from a variety of backgrounds. Examples included small farmers in the east who could not afford land of their own, newly arrived immigrants whose main reason for coming to America was to obtain land, families with young kids, single women, and former slaves freed after the Civil War. They all shared the same expectation of land ownership which fueled the homestead movement as our frontier expanded westward.
The passing of the Homestead Act by Congress in May 1862 was a major boost that attracted many more people to make the journey. The passage gave citizens or aliens that had filled out Declarations of Intentions to become citizens, 160 acres of land, free of charge, if the specified conditions were successfully completed. Under normal circumstances, applicants had to build a home on the land, cultivate it, and reside there for five years.
Congress would later pass multiple amended versions of the Homestead Act. One of the most significant was the Homestead Act of 1872 which was directed towards helping Union veterans, or their widows, and their families. Homesteading had a profound effect on America as our country expanded westward. From the perspective of genealogical research, documents generated as part of proving the claim are the most valuable. These claim files can supplement what information the genealogist already has or can provide new details and areas to research. The homestead entry papers, when complete, include the homestead application, the certificate of publication of intention to make a claim, the homestead proof, testimony of two witnesses and the claimant, and the final certificate. Also included, if applicable, are naturalization papers and discharge papers from the Union Army.
Historians estimate that between 400,000 and 600,000 families were provided with new farms as a result of the original act and amendments. The states which tend to have the most homesteading applications were Colorado, the Dakotas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. However, it should be noted that other states also received applicants as well.
BLM 6/12/2010