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Just think, the idea
of transferring government land
over to private individuals, private citizens,
not only citizens of the United States,
but citizens of the world.
That is the American dream.
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It's not a coincidence that immigration records,
surges in immigration that we see at Ellis Island,
they also coincide with surges that can be seen
in the number of participants within the Homestead Act.
These things are tied together.
Citizens of the world were invited
to come to the United States.
You did not have to be a citizen
of this country to participate.
You only had to guarantee
that you would be willing to become a citizen.
The free land was used as an incentive
to bring people from around the world
to this country, and what an incentive it was.
Over a million people came to this nation to homestead.
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People who wanted to homestead could come here
to take advantage of the free land.
You start to analyze what Congress was doing,
what President Lincoln was doing,
and how they were trying to grow a nation.
I think they knew exactly what they were doing
from the standpoint that they knew
that they were creating an economic superpower.
They knew that, through these laws,
that they could accomplish that mission.
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The homestead story really represents
rural America's Mayflower story.
It's a story that not only is relevant
here in the United States,
but it really transcends the globe.
It was truly unique in how it was written.
It created these farmers, it created these farmers
not only for immigrants from Europe,
but it also allowed former slaves,
it allowed women the opportunity
to pursue their version of the American dream.
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This idea of land ownership
really ignited the idea of the American dream.
It's a story that covers 270 million acres.
It's a story that not only is relevant
here in the United States,
but it really transcends the globe.
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