Homestead Act of 1860

The Homestead Act of 1860 in the United States would have made land available for 25 cents per acre. This act was passed by the United States Congress, but was ultimately vetoed by President James Buchanan.

Proponents

This was at a time where northerners had an idea that the government should give 160-acre (0.65 km²) plots of land to pioneers for free. People went to the east to start old lives and for the expensive land.

Opposition

There was much worry with the free land idea. The southerners, who were still pro-slavery, worried that this would result in the west becoming populated with free-soilers. This in turn would create many anti-slavery states, creating an unbalance in the Senate more than the South could handle. Another group who opposed this idea was the Eastern industrialists. They feared employees would be drained into the West for free land.

See also

• Homestead Act (1862)