Homestead Act
When was the Homestead Act passed?
1862
What special favor did Civil War Soldiers get to homestead?
They could use their time in the army in place of time spent proving up their land claim.
What was Solomon Butcher's profession?
Photographer
Why did homesteaders not mop?
Their floors were made of soil/dirt, so mopping was not possible.
What did it mean to go busted?
When people gave up and moved away before their five years were up.
How many acres of land did you get from the Homestead Act?
160 Acres
Why were Homesteaders called Sodbusters? What was "Nebraska Marble?"
They dug up sod to use for building houses. Sod was known as Nebraska Marble.
Because picture-taking was slow what did people need to do when their picture was being taken?
Needed to stand or sit very still for a long time.
What were some negative parts of having a sod home?
Roof could leak, animals and insects could come in, often dirty and dusty.
What day did Nebraska become a state?
March 1, 1867
Who was Nebraska's first Homesteader? And where was his homestead?
Daniel Freeman. Near Beatrice Nebraska.
Why did African Americans choose to homestead?
After the Civil War they were all free. Many came to the North to find jobs or homestead.
Were Solomon Butcher's photographs primary or secondary sources? Why?
Primary source because it is a photograph from that exact moment in history.
How long did homestead children go to school?
3 months in the spring and 3 months in the fall.
When Nebraska became a state, what number state was it?
37th
Name the 3 groups of people who came to Homestead.
Civil War Soldiers.
African Americans
Immigrants
Where did most immigrants come from?
People came from Europe on large ships and brought their own customs and traditions.
Why did people take pictures with their homes and objects?
They wanted to show family members how well they were doing on the homestead.
What did homestead students use to write on in school.
They used slates which were like small chalkboards.
Who was able to vote for Nebraska to become a state?
White men and African American men.
Name the requirements for homesteading.
1. Be 21 or the head of your family
2. live on the land for 5 years - proving up
3. build a house and make improvements to the land
4. pay $18 in fees
How did the German-Russians choose a good place to settle?
They would get off trains and smell and taste the soil to choose a good place for farming.
Why were watermelons often found in photographs?
They were a sign that things were going well.
Describe one chore homesteaders had to do?
Homesteaders would wash their clothes in the river or in a tub with a wash board. They would hang them over a fence, bush or clothesline to dry.
How did some homesteaders have different points of view about homesteading?
If some people were successful at homesteading they would have a positive point of view about it. If they were unsuccessful then they would most likely have a negative point of view.