The Homestead Act of 1862 granted 160 acres of free land to families who built a house and lived on the land for 5 years. Later acts expanded the amount of land granted to 480 acres. The Desert Land Act of 1877 allowed people to purchase 160 acres if rainfall was insufficient. While the Homestead Act provided land for thousands of farmers, many found the land unsuitable for farming with tools and seeds from back east. Settlers often faced difficult conditions like lack of water, extreme weather, and crop failures.

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5. Was life on the Homestead tougher for men or women?