Advanced Placement US History (AP US History) Practice Exam

The Homestead Act, enacted in 1862, is the legislation that provided free land to settlers in the western United States. It allowed individuals to claim 160 acres of public land and, after five years of continuous residence and improvements, ownership would be granted. This act aimed to encourage westward expansion and promote settlement during a period of significant growth and opportunity in the nation. It was instrumental in populating the western territories and played a vital role in the development of the American frontier.

The Land Ordinance Act, established in 1785, focused on the surveying and sale of land in the Northwest Territory but did not provide free land to settlers. The Morrill Act of 1862 had a different purpose, as it granted land to states to finance agricultural and technical colleges, while the Northwest Ordinance set the framework for governance and the admission of new states in the Northwest Territory but did not offer free land directly to settlers.