The Homestead Act of 1862
On January 1, 1863, I leave Gage County to go to St. Louis. with Daniel Freeman. Daniel Freeman is a great and brave guy, he file a land claim before a New Year’s Eve party, he is the first one who get the opportunity that provied by the Homestead Act, I am so proud of him.
After the Revolutionary War, government has problems with distribution of lands. The government has tried many ways to solve it, but all these methods for allocating unsettled land outside the original 13 colonies were arbitrary and chaotic. They use boundaries to step off plots from landmarks, but it didn’t work much. Finally, there are a Land Ordinance of 1785 implemented. This ordinance has a standardized system of Federal land surveys to cope boundary conflicts.
In 1854, the government enacted a low to set a graduated scale to adjust land price, it has positive effect, but national land policy made land ownership financially unattainable for most would-be homesteaders.
In the 1830s and 1840s, rising the prices of crop make smaller ventures disappear. Then the famers that don’t have land looked westward. They want to develop a new land in the west. Before Mexico war, people need preemption if they want to settle in the west. After Mexico war, the situation approved.
The government still face some problems when they acted this legislative law.Northern factories owners feared loss their labor force, Southern states worried the north can be strong by small farmers.
In 1862, the Homestead Act was passed and signed into law after many years effort. The new law has three processes:filing an application, improving the land, and filing for deed of title.
On January 1, 1863, Daniel Freeman filed claims. Many more pioneers come to this land, they creat opportunities and grab opportunies, a new and lively atmosphere created.
November 16, 2009 at 8:40 pm
It is wonderful! But I’m a little confuse about which side you stand by? The government or Daniel Freeman.
November 17, 2009 at 1:10 am
There are many details. It’s cool!
November 17, 2009 at 5:59 am
Thank you.
November 17, 2009 at 5:16 am
you did a good job, I like your article. It is very clearly. I can not understand the original article, but I can understand yours.
November 17, 2009 at 5:59 am
Thank you very much. You are funny.
November 17, 2009 at 5:56 am
the process is very clear..
November 17, 2009 at 7:04 am
I think you’d better to write it like a pioneer.
November 17, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Thank you for your advice.
November 29, 2009 at 7:45 pm
You didn’t make much effort to write this with correct grammar. It was a rush job to be done with it.