Farming in the West Chapter 17 Section 4

How did farmers on the plains struggle to make a living? Essential Question How did farmers on the plains struggle to make a living?

Homestead Act During the Civil War, congresses passed the Homestead Act of 1862. It offered a 160-acre plot of land to anyone who resided on the land for five years. Thousands became homesteaders, settlers who acquired free land from the government.

Why was the government so eager to give land away?

Railroads and Farming The railroad promoted more farming that the Homestead Act did. The railroads gave away over 180 million acres that they got from the government. The railroads recruited thousands of immigrants such Italians, Germans, Irish, and also people from the eastern part of the U.S.

Why do you think the Railroads encouraged farmers?

A Hard life on the Plains Life on the Great Plains was not easy; water was scarce and crops were hard to grow. Soil on the plains was fertile but it was covered with a thick sod. Sod is a surface layer of earth in which the roots of grasses tangle with soil. With little rain sod would bake into a harden mass.