Declaration of homestead
The Homestead Act was a United States law signed by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862. The law meant that a head of household could get a land in the west of the country, now in the in the middle of North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. This piece of land, with a limit of 65 hectares, could be obtained at a very low price, or sometimes even free. The buyer had to promise to live for at least 5 years, maintain the ground, develop it and build a house of a certain minimum size.
The Homestead Act played an important role in the conquest of the Wild West (West America) and the continual shifting of the western border. The law encouraged millions of Europeans to emigrate to the United States. She has also contributed to the great importance that many US citizens still attach to private ownership.
However, editing land thus obtained was not always always successful. It is estimated that about half of the "homesteaders" failed to build up the proceeds from their owned land. There are various reasons for this, including climate, lack of knowledge or lack of resources.
The law was replaced in 1986 by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act because the government wanted to take control of the remaining national grounds.
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