HOMESTEADING
What a pleasure it is to work on ones' own farm... for you can feel that it is yours and not for
someone else... I would rather live as we do than have to rent and have someone bossing us and
telling us when to move. Uriah Oblinger
The West wasn’t just about mining and cowboys. Farming played a huge role in the settlement of
the West. On Thursday, you will portray one of those farmers as you experience the challenges of
agricultural life on the Great Plains. To prepare, you should complete the following exercises …
1) Watch the video on AHR! about life as a homesteading pioneer. Would you be able to
handle it?
2) Carefully read and note the main idea in each paragraph of the Homesteading reading from
ABC-CLIO on the reverse of this sheet. You should become familiar with the purpose and
provisions of the Homestead Act. Check out the other online links as well for more info.
3) Watch the voicethread online and read the “story” below and the instructions for playing the
Homesteading game on Monday. Select your crops for your first year of farming!
The year is 1885, and you have decided to homestead land in central Nebraska. You heard about the
Homestead Act of 1862 just a few years ago, and you couldn't believe that the government was giving 160 free acres of
land to anyone who would pay a small filing fee and live on the land for 5 years. What a deal! Many other Americans
are also taking advantage of the Homestead Act, including European immigrants and single or widowed women. Some
have moved in order to be independent, while others have been lured by advertisements and the free land (like you).
Jobs had dried up in your city, and this was an opportunity you cannot resist.
You and your family set out for the Great Plains by purchasing tickets on the Union Pacific Railroad, and you
selected a 160-acre farm along the Platte River. You have bought all of the necessary farming equipment and built a
"soddie" (house made of sod), and you are now ready for your first year of farming. Your homestead is one of the first
in this area, and one reason for your selection was your ability to graze your livestock on public land - at no cost!
You have $1500 to start your farm. Your basic cost of living and the cost to ship your products to Chicago are
$500 per year, so you may only spend $1000 on your crops and livestock. You can farm as many crops as you want,
but remember that you only have 160 acres of land. If you wish to farm more land, you may rent 50 acres from the
government for one year for $50 (it is only rented in 50 acre blocks). You may also spend your money on livestock,
which grazes on public land at no cost. You will see the prices of the crops and livestock soon. All regular costs, such
as seed, labor, taxes, supplies, and maintenance are included in the cost of crops and livestock.
PLAYING THE GAME - To begin, look at the "Scoring Sheet". On the line at the top, you will see $1500 for
your capital (the amount you can invest) and 1885 for the year. You will also see that your cost of living
for the year is $500. Therefore, you have $1000 to spend on your crops and livestock. Select which crop
or crops you wish to plant. For example (see below), if you plant 80 acres of corn, your cost will be 80
acres x $5 per acre = $400. You will now have $600 remaining to spend on livestock, additional crops,
rented land or to save. After you have selected what to grow, use the square on the scoring grid and divide
your land, labeling the various crops you will grow. You do not need to spend all of your money. Anything
you do not spend will go into your savings. You will find out how to figure your profits in class tomorrow, and
then farm another year!
CROP
Corn
Beans
Livestock
Cattle
Number of
acres planted
Cost per
acre
Total Cost of
Crop
80
80
$5
$5
$400
$400
Number of
animals
Cost per
animal
Total Cost of
Animals
20
$10
$200
80
Acres
of
Corn
80
Acres
of
Beans
A Chance at the American Dream
By granting free land to qualified claimants, the Homestead Act of 1862 allowed nearly any man or woman
willing to develop the land a chance to live the American dream. One of the most significant events in the
The Homestead Act had great impact on the land and people of the West westward expansion of the United States, the Homestead Act had far-reaching effects on the landscape and
the people of the plains.
The Great American Desert
When people first settled the lands that the United States acquired in the Louisiana Purchase, they bypassed
the interior plains—which they called the Great American Desert—in favor of the coastal areas with richer
farming land. The U.S. government soon wanted to settle the interior, however, in order to increase the
wealth of the nation. Although there were already many tribes of Native Americans living across the plains,
the government considered them nomadic, or not tied to any area of land in particular.
The idea of using the appeal of free land to encourage settlement had been around since the 1820s, but it
didn't become a reality for more than four decades because of conflicts between the North and the South.
The South wanted all new states to have the option of becoming slave areas, while the North wanted to admit
only free states into the Union. The South, afraid of losing voting power in Congress, opposed every new act
that would give land away. However, following the secession of the Southern states at the beginning of the
Civil War, Congress passed the Homestead Act on May 20, 1862. It was signed into law by President
Abraham Lincoln.
A Quarter Section—Free!
The Homestead Act gave 160 acres—a quarter of a section—to individuals
who met certain requirements. The claimant had to be at least 21 years of
age, a veteran of 14 days of active service in the U.S. armed forces, or the
head of a family. Both men and women could qualify as the head of a
family. The claimant also had be a citizen of the United States or declare
his or her intention of gaining citizenship. That rule allowed many European
immigrants to stake claims.
In order to receive the patent and title to the land, a person had to build a
home on the land, live there, and work the land for a period of five years.
When it was time to prove up, or establish that the requirements had been
met, the homesteader simply went to the land office with two witnesses
who could verify that they had known the homesteader for five years, that
the homesteader had built a home on the site, and that the homesteader
had tilled the land.
Only 40% Were Successful
Much of the land available to homesteaders was covered with deep prairie grasses and had unpredictable,
sometimes sparse, rainfall. Their success depended on the development of new methods of dry farming and
the use of irrigation. They also learned to build sod houses out of bricks made of soil and held together by
grassroots. To prove up a claim took courage and tenacity.
The Homestead Act remained in effect for over a century, from 1863 to 1976. During that time, over 2 million
people filed for a homestead on a quarter section of public domain land. However, only about 40%, or
783,000, succeeded in finally earning the title to their property.
“Free Land!”. American History. ABC-CLIO Schools Subscription Web Sites. 23 January
Aug. 2006 <http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>.
HOMESTEADING
Scoring Sheet
DIRECTIONS
§
§
§
Your automatic expenses are $500 per year. That amount will be
subtracted from your total automatically - so do not spend more than
that!
You may only plant 160 acres of crops on your homestead. You may
rent extra land from the government, rented for $50 per year for 50
acres. The rent is only good for one year.
You must plant crops in 10-acre units. The square to the right
represents your 160 acres of land. Divide your land and label your
crops. You do not need to farm all 160 acres.
$1500
CAPITAL FOR 1885
CROP
Number of
acres planted
(must be multiple
of 10)
Number of
animals
50 acre units
Investment
Return
Income
Cost per
animal
Total Cost
of Animals
Investment
Return
Income
$10
$5
$5
Cattle
Hogs
Sheep
Rented Land
Total Cost
of Crop
$5
$5
$2
$2
$2
$1
$10
$5
Corn
Beans
Wheat
Barley
Oats
Field Hay
Tobacco
Field Peas
Livestock
Cost per
acre
Number of
Units
Cost per
Unit
Total cost of
rented land
SAVINGS
(capital not spent)
$50
Cost of Living
$500
FATE CARD
+ or -
Total
income
Total costs
Add costs
Add Income
Add your total income and your savings. This is your capital for next year.
What are some of the challenges
faced by farmers on the plains?
We will do
these in class
on Monday
when we farm!
What are your two biggest challenges
as a homesteader?
What are you going to do about your
problems your problems?
WHAT’S THE LEGACY?