A major criticism of the Homestead Act's effectiveness was that much of the best land was actually acquired by:
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Correct answer: Large railroad companies and land speculators
While millions of acres were given to individuals, even more land was granted to railroads to encourage construction. Speculators often used 'dummy' claimants to accumulate large tracts of the most fertile land near transportation hubs.
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More Homestead Act questions
- In the context of the Homestead Act, what was a 'land run'?
- What environmental challenge was most common for homesteaders on the Great Plains west of the 100th meridian?
- The Morill Land-Grant Act of 1862 was passed alongside the Homestead Act to:
- Which invention allowed homesteaders to access deep underground water sources on the plains?
- The term 'Sodbuster' was a nickname for:
- John Deere’s contribution to the success of Western settlement was the invention of: