Identify and describe one of the policies meant to promote American industry or foster expansion of the American West.

The
Homestead Act of 1862 promoted Westward Expansion by offering 160 miles of federal land to
anyone who wished to claim it, including women, immigrants, and freed slaves, requiring in
return only a small fee and the commitment to live on the land for 5 years. This act was
influential: eventually, 1.6 million individual claims would be approved; nearly ten percent
of all government held property for a total of 420,000 square miles of territory (.com). The
Homestead Act ended in 1976, except in Alaska, where it continued ten more years after
that.

The act was only marginally successful in accomplishing its original
purpose: for the land to be used for agriculture. Many land claimants lacked the experience
and/or resources to successfully farm the land. In practice, the act was used to manipulate
ownership of valuable resources, such as water or mining areas.

href="https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/homestead-act">https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/homeste...