The document discusses the origins of western farmers in the United States, including homesteaders from the east and immigrants who received free land under the Homestead Act, African Americans who left the south known as Exodusters, and Spanish-speaking people already living in lands won in the Mexican War known as Mexicanos. It also mentions the Homestead Act of 1862 which gave settlers 160 free acres if they farmed the land for five years, farmers on the plains called sodbusters, and populist policies advocated by the Populist Party such as free silver, eight hour work days, and government ownership of railroads.