Before It Became History | The Homestead Act of 1862: 160 Acres, Five Years, and a Contested West

In 1862, Lincoln signed a law offering 160 acres to settlers who could live on it, farm it, and prove it up. We explore who could claim a homestead, what it actually took to keep one, and whose homelands became the public land it gave away. Before It Became History, a podcast series from the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute, explores the people and moments that shaped the American story. Each episode looks beyond the legend to examine the decisions, conflicts, and ideas that tested the promise o...