On May 20th, 1862, the Homestead Act was passed, which allowed heads of households and adults at least 21 years old to claim 160 acres of land that had once been in the public domain. A total of
On May 20th, 1862, the Homestead Act was passed, which allowed heads of households and adults at least 21 years old to claim 160 acres of land that had once been in the public domain. A total of 270 million acres, or 10% of the United States was settled under the Homestead Act. In Idaho, 60,221 homestead claims were filed, making a total of 9,733,455 acres settled, or 18% of the state’s land.
A unique aspect of the Act was that minority groups could claim land, including women, former slaves, and immigrants. Claimants were only required to pay an $18 filing fee and had to spend the next 5 years “proving up” the land by living there and building a home. The land may have been practically free, but time, h