German immigration to Kansas increased in the 1850s, with over 250,000 Germans emigrating during that time period. The journey was difficult, with emigrants crammed into small bunks on crowded ships for over 40 days, facing hazards such as fire and disease. Upon arriving in Kansas, many German immigrants claimed land through the Homestead Act and established farming homesteads, helped by land grants from railroad companies and aid from German immigrant societies. Newspapers published in German helped promote settlement in Kansas to immigrants, working to overcome Kansas' reputation as the "Great American Desert" by highlighting the sufficient rainfall for farming.