What was the overriding purpose of the Territorial Free Homes League?

A.

to force the government to expand the boundaries of Oklahoma Territory

B.

to force the government to forgive the land-purchase debts of farmers

C.

to force the government to supply farmers with free building materials for homes

D.

to force the government to supply new homes for settlers residing in a territory

The correct answer is B. to force the government to forgive the land-purchase debts of farmers.

Born in February 1895 the Territorial Free Home League, in Perry, Oklahoma, the League lobbied for the suppression of the acts that required settlers to pay fees for in former Indian. The settlers claimed for the Homestead Act of 1862 when occupying Unassigned Lands, which demanded five years of residency, improvements, and land office fees only.

In later Indian reserves land distributions the government charged from one to two and a half dollars per acre, a really cheap price. Before the League, farmers and settlers would struggle to pay fees in a country in crisis, while by 1893 personal mortgage of each settler would range from $160 to $400.

The League existed for five years (1895-1900), organizing local and county leagues, held annual meetings, conducted nationwide letter campaigns, and produced a series of resolutions and memorials to Congress. By 1900, the Free Homes Act (Public Law 105) applied the rights conquered by the league in Oklahoma to other western states.