The American Civil War and the Homestead Act

The Civil War

• The civil war was between the North and South of the USA. The North won the war, freeing many slaves from confederate places in the South
• Slaves wanted a better life, but there was still violence during the reconstruction period, which was aimed mainly at newly freed slaves.
• Black people were still treated a slaves so many had to move West to avoid being harmed.
• Also, many men from South and North died in combat, so there were a lot of widowed women about, who moved West to start a new life.
• People returned home from the war to find mass disarray- burnt crops, dead animals, and lots of homelessness.
• The loss of slavery cost the white settlers.
• When the Southern states lest the USA in 1861 to set up the confederacy, the new US government was made up of the Northern states.
• In 1862, free from opposition, the US government passed two laws that had huge significance on the West: the Homestead Act (May 1862) and the Pacific Railroad Act (July 1862).
• The Homestead Act intended to settle the West with small…