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Article: Homesteaders
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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HOMESTEADERS
Homesteaders, sometimes credited with settling the West, were people who took advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862. The first family to do so was that of Daniel Freeman (1826
–
1908), who made a land claim on January 1, 1863, the day the law went into effect. Freeman settled near Beatrice, Nebraska.
The Homestead Act of 1862 and its later modifications were collectively known as the Homestead Laws. During the mid-1800s, a debate arose over what the federal government should do with its newly acquired lands in the West. Those supporting the free land movement, led by the Free Soil Party, believed the government should grant lands in the West to whoever settled them. ...