Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth U.S. President, is inducted for his efforts in the passage of three Acts of Congress that had a lasting and vital impact on agriculture.

Included in President Lincoln’s legacy is his commitment to America’s domestic agricultural interests. Despite the national devastation of the Civil War in 1862, President Lincoln was able to enact federal legislation that dedicated significant governmental resources to our farming heritage. The Act that created the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was signed by President Lincoln during 1862.

The Morrill Act, also known as the Land-Grant College Act of 1862, gave thirty thousand acres of land in each state to establish and support agricultural and mechanical colleges. The Morrill Act resulted in over eleven million acres being given to states and territories. Today, Land-Grant Colleges are among the most distinguished state universities.

The Homestead Act of 1862 provided that any head of family over the age of twenty-one could obtain one hundred sixty acres of public land by living on it for five years and making improvements thereon. The Act applied to American citizens and aliens who intended to become citizens. By 1900, the Homestead Act had provided new homes for more than a half-million families, stimulated immigration from Europe, and resulted in settling the nation from coast to coast.