The purpose of the homestead act of 1862, which provided free federal land, was to

states

explanation:

as the old saying goes, all politics are local. state and federal governments affect our daily lives in numerous ways. yet, in our federal system, there is supposed to be a balance between federal and state power. as james madison envisioned it in federalist no. 51, “the power surrendered by the people” would be “divided between two distinct governments,” creating a balance of power that would enable the “different governments [to] control each other.”

for hobos it was a very hard time most hid on the sides of the railroad tracks causing people to get bulls and get them off sometimes causing in fatal death they couldnt get people to give them money because the   people were also in need of money