On May 20, 1862, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed a law that would reshape the United States for generations. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered Americans and prospective citizens a chance to claim up to 160 acres of public land for a small filing fee. There was one major catch: settlers had to live on the land, build a home, cultivate it and make improvements for five years before they could receive full ownership.
What followed was one of the biggest migrations in American history. Millions headed west, farms appeared across the Great Plains, new towns emerged and the map of the United States began to change dramatically.
