Question

guided practice
what was the purpose of the homestead act?
a. to build factories on southern farmland
b. to retake private western lands and make them public
c. to build rail lines through union territory
d. to make western land available for farming at low cost

Explanation:

The Homestead Act of 1862 was a U.S. federal law designed to encourage westward settlement by making public lands in the West available for farming at a very low cost (or for free, with a small filing fee) to individuals who improved the land over a set period. Option A is incorrect as the act focused on western, not southern, land. Option B is wrong because the act opened public western lands, not retook private ones. Option C is unrelated, as rail line construction was supported by other legislation.

Answer:

D. to make western land available for farming at low cost