Exercise
The Homestead Act and Prairie Life
Learn about the Homestead Act and how it offered land to settlers willing to farm in the West. Explore the unique challenges of building homes and establishing communities on the prairie.
Questions
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MultiChoice
Which 1862 law offered 160 acres of free public land to citizens willing to farm it?
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MultiChoice
How many years did homesteaders have to live on and improve the land to own it completely?
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MultiChoice
Because trees were rare on the Great Plains, what material did settlers use to build houses?
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MultiChoice
What nickname was given to prairie farmers who cut through tough grass roots with steel plows?
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MultiChoice
Which invention helped farmers fence in land and keep cattle away from crops?
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MultiChoice
Which device used wind power to pump water from deep underground wells on the plains?
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MultiChoice
Which natural insect plague destroyed millions of acres of prairie crops in the 1870s?
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MultiChoice
Which farming tool invented by John Deere helped cut through thick prairie soil?
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MultiChoice
How many acres of land did a single homesteader receive under the Homestead Act?
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MultiChoice
Which extreme weather events threatened prairie homesteaders throughout the year?
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MultiChoice
Which U.S. President signed the Homestead Act into law in 1862?
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MultiChoice
Which crop grew especially well in the dry climate of the Great Plains?