Reconstruction Era Of Western Expansion

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During the 1840s and later through the Civil War Reconstruction Era, western expansion faced a wave of American interest. Many people thought the west was overflowing with wealth and opportunities. The land was advertised and sold by the government in an attempt to increase the nation’s farming productivity and territorial expansion. Land legislation promised to reward young farmers and families for their successful Midwest homesteads. This legislation included the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Timber Culture Act of 1873. Under the Homestead Act westerners were provided up to 160 acres of land in which they would live and farm for five years before obtaining ownership of the land. Though five years was a rather substantial trade off, the land

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