Editing Homestead Acts (section)

== Related acts in other countries ==

=== Canada ===
Similar laws were passed in Canada:

The [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] passed ''The Free Grants and Homestead Act'' in 1868,<ref>{{cite canlaw | short title=The Free Grants and Homestead Act of 1868 |abbr=S.O. |year=1868 |chapter=8 |link=https://books.google.com/books?id=-GiuAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PR1&pg=PA72}}</ref> which introduced a conditional scheme to an existing free grant plan previously authorized by the [[Province of Canada]] in ''The Public Lands Act'' of 1860.<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=The Public Lands Act of 1860 |abbr=S.C. |year=1860 |chapter=2 |link=https://archive.org/stream/statutesprovinc00canagoog#page/n12/mode/2up}}</ref> It was extended to include settlement in the [[Rainy River District]] under ''The Rainy River Free Grants and Homestead Act, 1886'',<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=The Rainy River Free Grants and Homestead Act, 1886 |abbr=S.O. |year=1886 |chapter=7 |link=https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprovin1886onta#page/22/mode/2up}}</ref> These Acts were consolidated in 1913 in ''The Public Lands Act'',<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=The Public Lands Act |abbr=S.O. |year=1913 |chapter=6 |part=II |link=https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprovin1913onta#page/42/mode/2up}}</ref> which was further extended in 1948 to provide for free grants to former members of the [[Canadian Forces]].<ref>{{cite canlaw | short title =The Public Lands Amendment Act, 1948 |abbr=S.O. |year=1948 |chapter=72 |section=2 |link=https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprovin1948onta#page/400/mode/2up}}</ref> The original free grant provisions for settlers were repealed in 1951,<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=The Public Lands Amendment Act, 1951 |abbr=S.O. |year=1951 |chapter=71 |section=1 |link=https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprovin1951onta#page/350/mode/2up}}</ref> and the remaining provisions were repealed in 1961.<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=The Public Lands Amendment Act, 1960–61 |abbr=S.O. |year=1960-61 |chapter=71 |section=3 |link=https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprov196061onta#page/310/mode/2up}}</ref>

The [[Parliament of Canada]] passed the ''[[Dominion Lands Act]]'' in 1872 in order to encourage settlement in the [[Northwest Territories]]. Its application was restricted after the passage of the [[Natural Resources Acts]] in 1930, and it was finally repealed in 1950.

The [[Legislative Assembly of Quebec]] did not expand the scope of the 1860 Province of Canada Act (which modern day Quebec was part of in 1860), but did provide in 1868 that such lands were exempt from seizure, and chattels thereon were also exempt for the first ten years of occupation.<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=An Act to Encourage Settlers |abbr=S.Q. |year=1868 |chapter=20 |link=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4775905;view=1up;seq=105}}</ref> Later known as the ''Settlers Protection Act'',<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=Settlers Protection Act |abbr=L.R.Q. |year= |chapter=P-38 |link=http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/documents/lr/P_38/P38_A.htm}}</ref> it was repealed in 1984.<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=Loi sur les terres publiques agricoles |abbr=L.Q. |year=1982 |chapter=13 |link=http://www.bibliotheque.assnat.qc.ca/DepotNumerique_v2/AffichageFichier.aspx?idf=94450}}{{in lang|fr}}</ref>

[[Newfoundland and Labrador]] provided for free grants of land upon proof of possession for twenty years prior to 1977, with continuous use for agricultural, business or residential purposes during that time.<ref>{{cite canlaw |short title=Lands Act |abbr=S.N.L. |year=1991 |chapter=36 |section=36 |link=http://www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/l3691.htm#36_}}, discussed at {{cite web |title=Squatter's Rights |url=http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/lands/ownership/squatters.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515201605/http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/lands/ownership/squatters.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-05-15 |publisher=NL Department of Environment and Conservation}}</ref> Similar programs continued to operate in [[Alberta]] and [[British Columbia]] until 1970. In the early 21st century, some land is still being granted in the [[Yukon Territory]] under its Agricultural Lands Program.<ref>{{cite news |author=Tristin Hopper |title=Canada's Last Homesteaders: How Determined Pioneers Turn the Yukon's Wild Crown Land Into Successful Farms |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadas-last-homesteaders-how-determined-pioneers-turn-the-yukons-wild-crown-land-into-successful-farms |date=February 14, 2014 |newspaper=[[The National Post]] |access-date=March 27, 2022}}</ref>

=== New Zealand ===
Despite the 1840 [[Treaty of Waitangi]] provisions for sale of land, the [[Māori Land Court]] decided that all land not cultivated by Māori was 'waste land' and belonged to [[the Crown]] without purchase.<ref>{{cite web |title=1. – Land ownership – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/land-ownership/page-1 |website=www.teara.govt.nz |access-date=2016-01-13 |author=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga}}</ref> Most [[Provinces of New Zealand|provinces]] in [[Colony of New Zealand|colonial New Zealand]] had [[List of Statutes of New Zealand (1840–90)|Waste Lands Acts]] enacted between 1854 and 1877. The 1874 Waste Lands Act in [[Auckland Province]] used the term Homestead, with allocation administered by a Crown Lands Board.<ref>{{cite web |title=Auckland Waste Lands Act 1874 (38 Victoriae 1874 No 16) |url=http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/awla187438v1874n16308/ |access-date=2021-03-06 |website=www.nzlii.org}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Provincial District of Auckland — The Land Act, 1877 {{!}} NZETC |url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Stout44-t5-body-d14.html |website=nzetc.victoria.ac.nz |access-date=2016-01-13}}</ref> There was similar legislation in [[Westland Province|Westland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=3. – Land ownership – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/land-ownership/page-3 |website=www.teara.govt.nz |access-date=2016-01-13 |author=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga}}</ref> It gave up to {{Convert|75|acre|ha|abbr = on}}, with [[settler]]s just paying the cost of a survey. They had to live there for five years, build a house and cultivate a third of the land, if already open, or a fifth if [[The bush|bush]] had to be cleared.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crown Lands Guide {{!}} NZETC |url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Stout64-t18-body-d51.html |website=nzetc.victoria.ac.nz |access-date=2016-01-13}}</ref> The land was forfeited if they didn't clear enough bush.<ref name=":0" /> Further amendments were made in 1877, 1882 and 1885, adding details such as pastoral and perpetual leases and village and special settlements.<ref>{{cite web |last=Taonga |first=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu |title=Centralisation after 1870 |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/land-ownership/page-4 |access-date=2021-03-06 |website=teara.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref> This contributed to rapid [[Deforestation in New Zealand|deforestation]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Pond |first=Wendy |date=May 1997 |title=The Land with All Woods and Waters |url=https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/wt-theme-u-land-with-all-woods-and-waters.pdf |url-status=dead |website=WAITANGI TRIBUNAL |access-date=June 17, 2021 |archive-date=August 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813190537/https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/wt-theme-u-land-with-all-woods-and-waters.pdf }}</ref>