In May 1862 Congress passed the Homestead Act to promote westward agricultural expansion. The act offered 160 acres of free public land to any settler who lived on the land continuously for five years. All settlers had to be U.S. citizens or they had to pledge to become a U.S. citizen. After five years, the homesteaders paid a small registration fee and became the land’s owners. A homesteader could become an owner after only six months by purchasing the land for $1.25 an acre. Demand for free land had increased over the years. The Republican Party wanted independent farmers to develop western lands free of slavery. In the years immediately before the Civil War similar homestead bills had been voted down by southerners who feared the policy would lead to more free states. After southern states seceded from the Union, Republicans passed the Homestead Act. The first claim was made in present-day southeastern Nebraska by Dan Freeman. Within three years, about 15,000 claims had been made. Some 400,000 homestead claims were made after the Civil War.
