The 1862 U.S. law offering settlers 160 acres of public land for improvement and residence was the Homestead Act.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Homestead Act on May 20, 1862. Under its main provisions, an applicant had to be at least 21 years old or the head of a household, live on the land, improve it, and submit a claim. After five years, the claimant could receive ownership without paying the normal land price, apart from filing fees.
The law encouraged migration into western territories and helped thousands of families acquire farms. It also accelerated the displacement of Native nations because the federal government opened Indigenous lands to settlement after removing or restricting Native communities.
The 160-acre figure is widely remembered, but the act’s benefits were not equally available. Women could file claims, while Black Americans gained important opportunities after the Civil War, yet legal and economic barriers still excluded many people. The system continued in altered forms for decades.