5/20/1862 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law.
The Homestead Act was a United States Federal law that gave freehold title to 160 acres (one quarter section or about 65 hectares) of undeveloped land in the American West. The person to whom title was granted had to be at least 21 years of age, and to have built on the section, and lived in for 5 years, a house that was at least 12 by 14 feet (3.6 x 4.3 m) in size.
The Homestead Act helped create more than 372,000 farms. By 1900, settlers had filed 600,000 claims for more than 80 million acres (320,000 kmē) of land in the West under the Homestead Act.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ended homesteading; the government believed that the best use of public lands was for them to remain in government control. The only exception to this new policy was in Alaska, for which the law allowed homesteading until 1986. The last claim under the Homestead Act was made by Kenneth Deardorff for 80 acres (32 hectares) of land on the Stony River in southwestern Alaska. He fulfilled all requirements of the Homestead Act in 1979, but he did not actually receive his deed until May 1988. Therefore, he is the last person to receive the title to land claimed under the provisions of the Homestead Act. - [Wikipedia]
Generational Link:
Civil War Cycle - Civil War Era - Fourth Turning, Crisis (1860-1865)
Biography:
b. May 20, 1908 - James Stewart, American actor (d. July 2, 1997)
Generational Link:
World War Cycle - G.I. Generation - Hero (Civic) (1901-1924)
News Today / History Tomorrow (5/19/2007):
As Tony Blair was bidding farewell to President George W Bush in the Rose Garden on Thursday, the World Bank was preparing to kick out Paul Wolfowitz as president.
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