homesteader
Other forms: homesteaders
Starting in the late 1860s, someone who settled on Western land was known as a homesteader. After farming it for a certain length of time, homesteaders gained ownership of the land.
The term homesteader started with the Homestead Act of 1862, which encouraged independent farmers and families to claim land west of the Mississippi River. Homesteaders were granted 160 acres of land to "improve" over five years. Settlers benefitted from the law, but homesteaders pushed Native Americans out of vast areas of the West. Today, homesteader is also used for anyone who lives in a self-sufficient way, especially if they grow their own food crops.
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someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
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Vocabulary lists containing homesteader
Twelve-year-old Simon O'Keeffe tries to forget that he survived a tragedy when his family moves to the National Quiet Zone in Nebraska, where radio signals are banned to prevent interference with astronomers' search of outer space.
Following the death of her uncle, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks travels to Montana to prove she can take care of her inherited land while dealing with anti-German sentiment during World War I.