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Website
US National Archives

Nara: Teaching With Documents: The Homestead Act of 1862

For Students 9th - 10th
A lesson plan about the Homestead Act of 1862 with much background information about previous land grants made by the U.S. government,
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Primary
PBS

Pbs the West: The Homestead Act May 20, 1862

For Students 9th - 10th
The critically acclaimed PBS series, "The West," provides the text of the Homestead Act of 1862.
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: The Homestead Act Went Into Effect

For Students 3rd - 8th
This 4-page article discusses the Homestead Act of 1862 and its effects.
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Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Frontier Life: Uncle Sam Is Rich Enough to Give Us All a Farm

For Students 9th - 10th
In this companion essay to the PBS series, Frontier House, you can see how the Homestead Act opened up the frontier to ordinary citizens, eager for a chance to own their own property.