Homestead Act was passed by Congress in May 1862. It provided that any person over 21, who was the head of a family, and either a citizen or an alien who intended to become a citizen, could obtain the title to 160 acres (65 hectares) of public land if he or she lived on the land for five years and improved it. Or, the settler could obtain title by paying $1.25 per acre (0.4 hectare) if he or she had lived on the land for at least six months and made improvements on it.