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Nebraska became a state on March 1, 1867 and was the 37th state admitted to the Union.  It has about 1.7 million people, most of which are located in the capital city of Lincoln and the Omaha metro area.  Almost 95% of the land in Nebraska is used for farming and ranching - in fact - Nebraska is produces corn, soybeans, and what and produce meat from pigs, sheep, and cattle.

Nebraska played a huge part in the Homestead Act of 1862 which was a way to get people in the east to move west and develop the land into farms, ranches, and towns. The new law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: filing an application, improving the land, and filing for deed of title. Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land. For the next 5 years, the homesteader had to live on the land and improve it by building a 12-by-14 dwelling and growing crops.

After 5 years, the homesteader could file for his patent (or deed of title) by submitting proof of residency and the required improvements to a local land office.  Prior to this time there was plenty of resistance to a Homestead type act because Northern factories owners feared a mass departure of their cheap labor force and Southern states worried that rapid settlement of western territories would give rise to new states populated by small farmers opposed to slavery.

Here's one for the adults to enjoy!!

A brief history of Arizona. Drag the time line to see more events and click on the titles to see a description.

Download the State of Nebraska Reference Map

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