Farmers often had to use irrigation because rainfall was scarce. Some homesteaders sold their land to speculators because of the many problems. Beginning in 1873, Congress passed a series of new measures that modified the act of 1862. These measures allowed the people to acquire larger tracts of land. But the chief beneficiaries were speculators and others who sought control of the natural resources of the West.
Some historians question the value of the act because of the widespread abuses.
Of the public lands that passed into private hands from 1862 to 1900, not more than 11 to 17 percent was settled by homesteaders. Much of the homesteading during the 1900's took place in Alaska. Many homesteaders acquired free land in the Anchorage area. The U.S. government ended the homesteading program in 1976 for all states except Alaska. The Homestead Act expired in Alaska in 1986.