What was proving up summarized

Answer 1

Proving up was the process by which homesteaders were required to prove that they had met all the requirements of the Homestead Act in order to officially own the land that they settled on. This process typically involved living on the land for a certain period of time, making improvements to the land, and filing a final claim with the government. Once these requirements were met, the homesteader would receive a patent for the land, officially granting them ownership.