PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: The Homestead Acts
This collection uses primary sources to explore the Homestead Acts.
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: The Homestead Act of 1862
A lesson plan about the Homestead Act of 1862 with much background information about previous land grants made by the U.S. government,
PBS
Pbs the West: The Homestead Act May 20, 1862
The critically acclaimed PBS series, "The West," provides the text of the Homestead Act of 1862.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Adeline Hornbeck and the Homestead Act
This Teaching with Historic Places lesson effectively depicts the life of a pioneer woman and ways in which the Homestead Act impacted her life. The site includes lesson plans, inquiry questions, and photos that may be used in covering...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: The Homestead Act and the Exodusters
Explains what the Homestead Act of 1862 was and what it meant for settlers, as well as the Exodus of 1879 when many African Americans became exodusters and left the South. Includes questions for students at end.
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: The Homestead Acts
The sources in this primary set document the Homestead Acts and the experiences of American homesteaders during the late 1800s. Includes teaching guide.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: The Homestead Act and the Exodusters
The Homestead Act of 1862 gave free land to Americans willing to improve it, regardless of race, sex, or nation of origin.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: The Homestead Act Went Into Effect
This 4-page article discusses the Homestead Act of 1862 and its effects.
Library of Congress
Loc: Today in History: May 20: The Homestead Act
Gives facts about the Homestead Act and quotes from some homesteaders. Includes many links to additional resources within the Library of Congress site.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Homestead National Monument: History and Culture
An extensive site that covers many aspects of the Homestead Act, including biographies, charts, and the text of the act. From the National Park Service.
Ohio State University
Osu History Teaching Institute: Homestead Act of 1862
Through the use of primary sources, 4th graders will understand the main concepts of the Homestead Act and use that information to write a letter to a relative explaining why they moved to Ohio.
PBS
Pbs: New Perspectives on the West
This in-depth resource presents a history of the American West from pre-Columbian times until World War I with profiles, documents, and images. It encourages visitors to link these into patterns of historical meaning for themselves....
Other
Direct Line Software: The Homestead Act of 1862
This resource provides information on the Homesteaders and how to locate Homestead records. Visit to learn about the Homestead Act of 1862.
US National Archives
Our Documents: Homestead Act (1862)
Original text (and transcription) of the 1862 Homestead Act, which granted land for a five-year residence for minimal fees. Accompanied by an overview of the act, including how it both helped and hindered farmers.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Homestead Act
The purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862 was to shape the future of the Western regions of the United States by taming the region by populating the area with farmers. This article provides an overview of this important political incident...
Other
Digital Revolution: Homestead National Monument of America
This information about the Homestead Act and homesteaders has been garnered from the National Park Service. Use the links at the bottom to find out about the history of the Act, the lives of the homesteaders, and what a tall grass...
US National Archives
National Archives: Exploring the Western Frontier With the Records of Congress
Students will analyze the impact of the frontier on American life and the role Congress played in settling the frontier. Included are worksheets, Turner's Thesis, and reflection questions. Primary sources provided are petitions for...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Life on the Farm
With the passage of the Homestead Act, settlers could own 160 acres for free. Read about the problems that faced the new farmers both economically and from Mother Nature.
Ducksters
Ducksters: History for Kids: Homestead Act and Land Rush
Kids learn about the Homestead Act and Land Rush of the Old West. On this site learn about facts about Homesteaders and the grabbing land in the Midwest.
Other
The Weekly South Dakotan: South Dakota History for 4th Grade
From the very beginning and through the twentieth century, this comprehensive collection of lessons will enrich students studying the history in between and the effects on South Dakota.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Timeline of Farming in the u.s.
Presents a timeline of the history of farming in the U.S. between 1850 and 1933. Highlights include the Homestead Act of 1862, the Agricultural Act of May 1933, Emergency Farm Mortgage Act, and The Federal Surplus Relief Corporation.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Homestead National Monument: Exodusters
Read about the reasons for the extensive black migration to Kansas, especially in the 1870s. These emigrants were called Exodusters. From the National Park Service.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: America's History in the Making: Contested Territories
This site highlights the westward expansion of settlers in North America and the effects this expansion had on Native Americans between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: America's History in the Making: Taming the American West
Comprehensive teaching unit that explores the settling of the American West in the late 1800s and the challenges these settlers faced. Contains video and text materials, web interactives, student oriented activities, and a timeline of...