The Timber And Culture Act

[AzaPattaz]

1. Explain Why the Timber Culture Act Was Introduced
Wood was critical from survival on the claims, however it was not available, so the government put an act into place which said that they would reward them with 160 acres of land if they promised to plant some trees in their claims. Many people were intrigued which led to 16 million acres being claimed

2. Explain The Failures of the Timber and Culture Act
Most of the claims were made in Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska however a lot of the trees that the homesteaders planted here died. This is because the plains didn’t provide enough water for the trees to grow. This meant less wood for the homesteaders which meant building material was harder to come by. It also meant that there was less shelter for crops which led to many farmers being unsuccessful in their efforts to grow crops. Lastly, as a result of a small amount of wood, there was now less fuel to feed fires which meant no heat source.


3. Explain The Success of the Timber and Culture Act
Most success was in Minnesota; this was where most of the trees grew. This provided homesteaders with building materials, fuel and fencing which meant that they were more likely to be successful on the plains as they can build sturdy and efficient buildings, they can build fencing to keep cattle contained and to also provide a shelter for their crops which meant that they could sell and survive off of what they grew.

Aaron Pattison