HOMESTEAD ACT

Passed into action January 26, 1839

The homestead act of 1839 protected a family’s home, tools, and 50 acres of land from seizure for nonpayment of debts.

This act was one of the first major attempts at establishing a system of regular settlement in the unclaimed territory of the west.

This was important because the state became something of a sanctuary for those fleeing debt they had achieved elsewhere

Untitled Slide

• The Homestead Act of 1839 included an important provision protecting homesteads from debt that still informs the legal system in Texas and the rest of the U.S. today.

FUN FACTS

• Many provisions in the Texas homestead act were later included in the national Homestead Act of 1862