Why was the Homestead Act significant in the history of American westward expansion?

The Homestead Act of 1862 was instrumental in promoting westward expansion. It offered 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, provided they cultivate the land and build a dwelling. This act made land ownership accessible to many who might not have had the means otherwise. It led to the rapid settlement of the Great Plains and was pivotal in transforming the American West from a frontier to a series of established communities and states.