In the early 1800s, the government had to figure out what to do with people already claiming land in the West. On this date in 1820, Congress passed the Land Act, allowing settlers to purchase the land they had claimed. They could buy 160 acres at $1.25 per acre. The Land Act made it possible for people of modest means to purchase land and settle down. It also marked the beginning of an organized effort to settle the West.
It was a good deal for speculators too—those with plenty of money could buy low-cost land and resell it at higher prices. But it was not good for Native Americans. The Act increased the confiscation of their land and raised the chances of conflict between the original inhabitants and the European-American newcomers.
The Homestead Act of 1862 is perhaps the best-known government effort to promote western settlement. The Act allowed any citizen or intended citizen who had never taken up arms against the U.S. government to claim 160 acres of land. Original filers who lived on the land for five years and improved it could claim the property for a small filing fee. The Homestead Act spurred westward expansion and helped settle the Great Plains.
But when those settlers arrived, they found that some adventurous souls had already set up housekeeping thanks to the Land Act of 1820.
Also, in 1862, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act. It gave each state a minimum of 90,000 acres of land to sell. The money was used to establish colleges focused on engineering, agriculture, and military science. North Dakota Agricultural College, now North Dakota State University, was established in Fargo as the state’s land-grant college.
Other land acts followed. The Timber Culture Act of 1874 encouraged homesteading and tree planting. Homesteaders who occupied their land for three years, with at least one acre devoted to trees, were eligible to receive a land patent. Civil War veterans could also claim 160 acres.
The United States began as a country perched on the Atlantic seaboard. But by 1840, forty percent of the population lived in the trans-Appalachian West. The land acts passed by the federal government helped drive that continued westward movement.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- National Archives. “Homestead Act (1862).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/homestead-act Accessed 4/7/1862.
- History.nd.gov. “Lincoln’s Legacy.” https://www.history.nd.gov/lincoln/land8.html Accessed 4/7/2025.
- Digital Commons. “1820, April 24, 03 Stat. 566, Act Making Further Provision for Sale of Public Land Accessed 4/7/2025.
