The significance of the Homestead Act in U.S. westward expansion was profound, as it encouraged settlement and agricultural development in the West. Passed in 1862, this act granted 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, provided they improved the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops. The Homestead Act aimed to populate the West and promote economic growth during Reconstruction. It facilitated the migration of thousands of families seeking opportunity, contributing to the establishment of new communities, the rise of the American frontier, and the shaping of the nation’s agricultural landscape.