A settler in 1865 moves west, hoping to start a farm, but cannot afford to buy land. Which federal law would allow this person to claim free land by living on and improving it?

The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed settlers to claim federal land by living on it and improving it, often through farming. That fits a settler in 1865 who cannot afford to buy land. The Morrill Act supported colleges, while the Railroad Grant Act gave land to railroad companies; the Preemption Act involved purchasing land rather than claiming it free.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.