Autonomous, Independent, Sovereign

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Photo by David Thielen on Unsplash

Do you know the Homestead Act of 1862 granted public land to citizens who agreed to live on and cultivate it for five years?

Enacted during the Civil War, it provided that any adult citizen or intended citizen who had never borne arms against the U.S. could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land. As an alternative to purchase, it allowed claimants/homesteaders to buy the land for $1.25 per acre after six months of residency.

The law, which was in effect until 1976 and provided for homesteading in Alaska until 1985, promoted westward expansion by former slaves, new immigrants with the intention of naturalization, single women, and others from all walks of life. Thus, it was not only the first but also a long-running and very successful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative.

Following its enactment, significant Black homesteading communities emerged, the longest-lasting of which is Nicodemus, KS. Located in the Solomon River Valley and established in 1877 by six Black entrepreneurs, it still stands and is designated a National Historic Site.

Homesteading wasn’t easy. Some of the perils included extreme weather conditions, water scarcity, bad soil, wild animals, lawlessness, and racial conflicts/race raiders. Many gave up before receiving a land patent, including George Washington Carver, the first Black faculty member at Iowa State College of Agriculture and the Father of the Peanut Industry.