Which act was intended to promote westward expansion by providing land to settlers?

The Homestead Act was specifically designed to encourage westward expansion by providing land to settlers. Enacted in 1862, this legislation allowed individuals to claim up to 160 acres of public land in the West for a small fee, provided they improved the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops for a period of five years. This act was instrumental in populating western territories, as it incentivized many people, including immigrants, to move west in search of new opportunities and a better life.

The other options have different purposes that do not align with the intent of promoting westward expansion through land distribution to settlers. For example, while the Morrill Act focused on establishing land-grant colleges and promoting education in agriculture and the mechanical arts, the Indian Removal Act dealt with the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands. The Land Ordinance of 1785, on the other hand, facilitated the surveying and sale of western lands but was not a direct land distribution program for settlers in the same way the Homestead Act was.