What happened on May 20
Today in history: On the date in 1862, the Homestead Act is passed by Congress. An adult, male or female and over the age of 21, could claim 160 acres from the public domain. The person had to cultivate the land and improve it with buildings, such as a house or barn, and live there for at least five years. The land then became their possession ... after a $10 filing fee. By 1890, however, only 3 percent of the land west of the Mississippi River have been given away under the act.