Question

In 1820, Congress reduced the price of federal land to $1.25 per acre. What was the purpose of this policy?
A.
to sell off the territory covered by the Homestead Act
B.
to reduce the territory that the U.S. Army had to defend
C.
to promote settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains
D.
to encourage construction around Washington, D.C.

Answer 1

C. to promote settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Lowering the price of federal land made it affordable for small farmers and settlers, encouraging westward migration and the development of frontier territories. (The Homestead Act came later, in 1862.)