Signed into law in May 1862, the Homestead Act opened up settlement in the western United States, allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. ... The Homestead Act (May 20, 1862) set in motion a program of public land grants to small farmers.
Answer:
government
Explanation:
The was to get rid of land owed by the government
