Homestead Act

Glossary

• affidavit a sworn written statement
• alienated transferred or sold
• claim implied right of ownership of a location-specific tract of land, which becomes legitimated by an official title once all filings and fees have been processed, a certain number of years have passed, and specified improvements have been made
• preemption principle and established customary assertion of a first right to a claim on public land, on the basis of prior residence and improvement