Daniel Freeman was the first American to file a homestead claim for land under the Homestead Act of 1862. The act required a series of steps, such as improving a plot of land and living on it for five years, before the homesteader could gain ownership of the 160 acres he claimed. Daniel Freeman initiated his claim on January 1, 1863. He submitted this document to prove he had improved the land, and received his ownership certificate January 20, 1868.
Survey of St. John River and British Settlements of New Brunswick
Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
