For example, the Homestead Act granted ownership of up to 160 acres of land to any citizen that was able to farm in it for 5 years, and around 400,000 families went to do so (Boyer 442). The Morrill Act granted millions of acres of federal land to states to promote education by constructing universities (Boyer 442) . Unfortunately, since so many prospective migrants took advantage of the government’s policies, they ran into ownership issues with Indians and took 12 million acres of land from them in Oklahoma (Boyer 442). Homesteaders were faced with more problems in the Great Plains, since they needed to make use of the land to pay for their supplies and transportation, but it was not ideal for farming; it had scarce amounts of trees and a limited supply of water (Boyer 444).To help, the U.S.D.A. assisted new farmers by figuring out the best types of wheat for the Great Plains and teaching farmers innovative techniques of dry farming (Boyer 445). The combination of desperation from the new settlers to survive while facing new difficulties and the consistent guidance by the U.S. drove the technological and economical development in farming practices that eventually established suitable life in the American
For example, the Homestead Act granted ownership of up to 160 acres of land to any citizen that was able to farm in it for 5 years, and around 400,000 families went to do so (Boyer 442). The Morrill Act granted millions of acres of federal land to states to promote education by constructing universities (Boyer 442) . Unfortunately, since so many prospective migrants took advantage of the government’s policies, they ran into ownership issues with Indians and took 12 million acres of land from them in Oklahoma (Boyer 442). Homesteaders were faced with more problems in the Great Plains, since they needed to make use of the land to pay for their supplies and transportation, but it was not ideal for farming; it had scarce amounts of trees and a limited supply of water (Boyer 444).To help, the U.S.D.A. assisted new farmers by figuring out the best types of wheat for the Great Plains and teaching farmers innovative techniques of dry farming (Boyer 445). The combination of desperation from the new settlers to survive while facing new difficulties and the consistent guidance by the U.S. drove the technological and economical development in farming practices that eventually established suitable life in the American