Kim Buice Chapman Elementary Westward Expansion Kim Buice Chapman Elementary

before Westward Expansion began How did the US look in 1860? before Westward Expansion began

Homestead Act of 1862 Passed December, 10, 1861 Signed by Lincoln May 20, 1862 Must be a US citizen Must be 21 years old Must farm and improve the land for 5 years

How many went? by 1900, 600,000 claims were filed over 80 million acres claimed most settled in Western Plains states

The Settlers Start to Arrive

Hardships Begin Grasshoppers and other pests destroy crops They are very hard to kill

And the Hardships Continue Houses are made of sod. Weather is harsh Life is very difficult

Finally some success! new technology makes farming easier threshing machines are available

windmills provide power The successes go on! windmills provide power

The Railroads Come Finally the railroads came Travel was made easier Goods could be delivered

Many people stayed Obviously, many people decided to stay. The shape of the United States was changed forever.

After Homestead Act and massive Westward Expansion How did the US change? Map of the US, 1900 After Homestead Act and massive Westward Expansion

Credits All photos are courtesy of the Library of Congress And the American Memory Collection Maps on frames 4 and 11 are courtesy of American Studies at the University of Virginia