Perseverance isn't directly thematic, but the spirit of the Homestead Act and its guidelines make it clear that a homesteader needed perseverance in spades. The journey out West itself was an exercise in endurance…and that’s even before the requirement of spending five years out in the sticks improving the land and trying to live off it.
Not to mention that the land rushes, where thousands of people rushed and jockeyed for the best land the second the territory opened, were liable to turn deadly at the drop of a hat. Yep, a settler had to be of hardy stock both physically and mentally to pull off homesteading. This is why only 40 percent of homesteaders who filed a claim made it to the big payoff. (Source)
Questions About Perseverance
- What kind of setbacks could a homesteader face that made perseverance a critical trait?
- Why was the minimum requirement five years? Why not three or seven?
- Does the requirement of five years indicate a belief in the American spirit from Congress?
- Could anyone prepare for the mental, physical, and emotional toll homesteading took? How?
Chew on This
Only 40 proved of homestead claims were "proved," but that’s still over one million determined Americans who managed to persevere in the face of danger, disease, and disaster.
Five years, countless hours of backbreaking toil, and constant problems from weather or neighbors all add up to one fact: Homesteaders were pretty boss.