How did the homestead act encourage the settlement of the west?

Signed into law in May 1862, the Homestead Act opened up settlement in thewestern United States, allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. By the end of the Civil War, 15,000homestead claims had been established, and more followed in the postwar years. I hope this can help. :)