Which law granted 160 acres of land to settlers to encourage westward expansion?

• A. Transcontinental Railroad
• B. Homestead Act
• C. Great Plains
• D. Dawes Act

Answer: (B)

Moving west was encouraged by a policy that offered land to settlers willing to start farms and live on the property. The Homestead Act did just that: it provided 160 acres of public land to individuals who would live on the land, build a dwelling, and improve it for several years. This aimed to quickly populate the western frontier, develop agriculture, and spur economic growth in new territories.

This is the best explanation because it identifies the government action that actually granted 160 acres to ordinary settlers to promote westward expansion. The other options describe different things: a railroad project with land grants to companies, a geographic region, and a policy aimed at reshaping Native American land ownership, none of which match the idea of giving 160 acres to settlers to encourage settlement.