Last updated: June 15, 2024
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Homesteading America - video vignette series
Millions of Americans including immigrants, women, and formerly enslaved men and women would make the dream of westward expansion a reality for this country. For over a century these settlers would test their grit and endurance in the untamed wilderness and remote frontiers of modern states like Alaska, Kansas, Montana, and Nebraska.
The stories of those who have homesteaded in America are truly unlike anything else. The National Park Service invites you to take a closer look by visiting Homestead National Historical Park. But first, check out these video vignettes to help introduce and question the impacts of the Homestead Act of 1862, a law that gave away "Free Land" from 1863 until 1986.
The stories of those who have homesteaded in America are truly unlike anything else. The National Park Service invites you to take a closer look by visiting Homestead National Historical Park. But first, check out these video vignettes to help introduce and question the impacts of the Homestead Act of 1862, a law that gave away "Free Land" from 1863 until 1986.
Would You Give Up Indoor Plumbing for Free Land
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- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 13 seconds
Would you give up indoor plumbing for free land? Meet homesteaders that faced that question head on.
How African Americans Settled the West
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- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 13 seconds
This video is an introduction to how families took part in the Homestead Act of 1862 to forge promising futures for generations to come.
Wilderness Man Builds Epic Cabin in Alaska
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- Duration:
- 4 minutes, 28 seconds
Meet Ken Deardorff, America's last homesteader.
Amazing Grandma Builds Cabin on Free Land
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- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 11 seconds
Every homesteading story is unique!
Cowboy Gives Tour of Family Homestead
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- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 53 seconds
Find out what homesteading means to this cowboy.
Was the Homestead Act for Immigrants
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- Duration:
- 1 minute, 31 seconds
A person could claim a homestead if they declared their intention to become a United States citizen.
Why this Family Doesn't Sell Land
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- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 41 seconds
Connection to family involves the land.