Black Homesteaders on the Great Plains: Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Join rangers from Homestead National Historical Park to explore the intersection of race and migration on the Great Plains. The call of free land offered Black Americans a welcome reprieve from a cycle of poverty driven by sharecropping and racialized violence in the South. The Homestead Act of 1862 helped at least 3,400 Black farmers buildhomes across the Great Plains. Learn about the struggles that Black homesteaders met in building and sustaining households and communities.

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Homestead National Historical Park, located in Nebraska, commemorates the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed Americans, including freed slaves and immigrants, to claim and settle on federal land. The park preserves the legacy of the pioneers who shaped the westward expansion of the United States. Visitors can explore restored prairie landscapes, historical exhibits, and a homesteader cabin, offering a glimpse into the lives of early settlers and the profound impact of the Homestead Act on American history and the land.