Was the homestead act authorized giving away land to settlers who were willing to improve it

Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land. This was meant to help out Americans while the government was still generating a steady income from the land.