A typical homesteading family crossing the Great Plains.
Settlement of the West, mostly
in violation of existing treaties, begins with the passage of the
Homestead Act of 1862. This bill, which had been previously
blocked by southern congressmen, now passed muster in
Congress. The act unleashed a 'land rush' of settlers onto
Indian owned lands in Kansas and Nebraska. Congress, with a
fiduciary responsibility to protect Indian lands and resources, did
not lift a finger or send a single soldier to help the Indians
protect their homelands from land-hungry settlers.
for more on the homestead era, click here