The document discusses who the Homesteaders were and why they went West in the late 19th century. The Homesteaders were farmers who took advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862 to acquire 160 acres of free land in the Great Plains region. They went West for several reasons, including that the Mississippi Valley had become overcrowded, poverty among immigrants, religious persecution, curiosity, career building opportunities, encouragement from friends and family, and advertisements about free land under the Homestead Act.