How we cite our quotes: (Section)
Quote #1
[…]shall, from and after the first January, eighteen hundred and. sixty-three, be entitled to enter one quarter section or a less quantity of unappropriated public lands[…] (Section 1)
Let’s go forth and get that land settled. Please: come take the wonderful free land the government has to offer. One-quarter section may sound like nothing, but a family of five to ten, with only a portion of those being adults, would have their hands full working 160 acres and making it productive. Not to mention having to build a structure (usually a minimum of 12x14 ft) to house everybody and their animals.
But, hey, where’s that American spirit? Go on out west and try your hand at homesteading.
Quote #2
[…] Provided, That any person owning and residing on land may, under the provisions of this act, enter other land lying contiguous to his or her said land, which shall not, with the land so already owned and occupied, exceed in the aggregate one hundred and sixty acres. (Section 1)
If you work the land for couple of years and decide it isn’t so bad, then go rustle up a few more acres of nearby land! Just make sure nobody else has claimed it and the whole plot isn’t over that magic 160 acres.
The government really wanted that land settled.
This was fairly permissive and probably caused a few problems with inaccurate mapping and surveying. But what’s a game of tug-o-war over a few acres between neighbors, right?
Quote #3
[…] and that such application is made for his or her exclusive use and benefit, and that said entry is made for the purpose of actual settlement and cultivation […] (Section 2)
This one has a couple of meanings. The obvious is that, hey, the government is graciously granting this land, given to the U.S. by God, so it better be used for the betterment of American lives. The second is private ownership of the land.
Sure, it’ll all be America when it’s settled, but there’s this concept of mine vs. yours throughout property law. This caveat was probably meant to stave off any fraud or transfer of the land before the claim was validated, but it definitely works on multiple levels.