On this day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act. Under it, an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than 160 million acres (650 thousand km2; 250 thousand sq mi) of public land, or nearly 10 percent of the total area of the United States, were given away free to 1.6 million homesteaders; most of the homesteads were west of the Mississippi River.
An extension of the homestead principle in law, the Homestead Acts were an expression of the Free Soil policy of Northerners who wanted individual farmers to own and operate their own farms, as opposed to Southern slave owners who wanted to buy up large tracts of land and use slave labor, thereby shutting out free white farmers.
The Homestead Act of 1862 opened up millions of acres. Any adult who had never taken up arms against the federal government of the United States could apply. Women and immigrants who had applied for citizenship were eligible. Most homesteading occurred during the period of 1900–1930. As of 2017, around 93 million Americans were descendants of people who received land through the Homestead Acts.
Between 1862 and 1934, the federal government granted 1.6 million homesteads and distributed 270,000,000 acres (420,000 mi2) of federal land for private ownership. This was a total of 10% of all land in the United States. Homesteading was discontinued in 1976, except in Alaska, where it continued until 1986. About 40% of the applicants who started the process were able to complete it and obtain title to their homesteaded land after paying a small fee in cash.
Elizabeth (Betty) Clouse-Smith was the last woman homesteader to successfully prove up land in her own name. She was among a group of people, including her son William J. Smith, who filed for homestead west of Big Delta, Alaska. On October 18, 1984, she received a patent for her 116-acre claim (47 ha).
The last claim under this Act was made by Ken Deardorff for 80 acres (32 ha) of land on the Stony River in southwestern Alaska. He fulfilled all requirements of the homestead act in 1979 but did not receive his deed until May 1988. He is the last person to receive a title to land claimed under the Homestead Acts.
Norwegian settlers in North Dakota, 1898
Sometimes a simple solution is the best…
Used that ‘no-name’ tape…
BADA BING!!
Swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ON A BIBLE is one of life’s great ironies.
PROBLEMS THAT WERE OVERBLOWN: · quicksand, people offering me drugs, getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
PROBLEMS I WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY WARNED ABOUT: arguing with robots about unexpected items in bagging areas, remembering all my passwords, existential dread
This, too, shall pass. It’ll pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass.
I used to have this mental illness where I thought logical arguments would change someone’s mind.
Antivaxers really be like, “You’re just gonna listen to doctors who studied medicine for 10 years? Wow enjoy being sheep, I’m gonna listen to a stay at home moms Facebook page cause I’m an independent thinker”.
I think billionaires should pay throttlingly burdensome taxes, not to improve society, but because it makes them sad.
It turns out a ceiling fan will not cut a bagel in half even on high speed. I also need a new window.
THAT’S A HORRIBLE IDEA. WHAT TIME?
I LOVE BEING TOLD THAT I HAVE AN “IRRATIONAL FEAR” OF A DEADLY VIRUS BY PEOPLE WHO ARE SCARED TO DEATH OF IMMIGRANTS, LGBTQ PEOPLE, BROWN PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE, WORKING WOMEN, WIND MILLS, CELLPHONE ANTENAS, VACCINES, ELECTRIC CARS, VOTING BY MAIL, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS, PLANT-BASED FOOD, HIGHER WAGES, AND FACE MASKS.
Old age is when your body gives your brain a list of the things it’s not going to do any more.
I have been lying to my cat for years. Anytime he meows at me, I say, “I know, I know!” But I don’t. I don’t know.
I was born male, identify as male, but according to Stouffer’s Lasagna, I’m a family of four.
Today is the birthday, in 1946, of Cherilyn Sarkasian, (Cher), American singer and actress, one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher who had the 1965 UK & US No.1 single ‘I Got You Babe’. She became a television personality in the 1970s with her show The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run. Solo hits include the 1991 UK No.1 single ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’, 1998 UK No.1 & 1999 US No.1 single ‘Believe’, plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOSZwEwl_1Q
