A major result of the Homestead Act of 1862 was the distribution of public land to individuals, promoting westward expansion and settlement in the United States. As a result of the act, any individual, including farmers, immigrants, and freed slaves, could claim up to 160 acres of public land for a small fee, on the condition that they improved the land and resided on it for at least five years. This led to an increase in agricultural development, the establishment of new towns, and the growth of the American West. The Homestead Act contributed to the development of the United States as a dominant agricultural nation and the fulfillment of the vision of Manifest Destiny.
