背景介绍

《宅地法》（HomesteadAct）是美国政府1862年颁布的土地法，由林肯（AbrahamLincoln）总统签署的关于西部土地分配的法令，是南北战争（AmericanCivilWar）期间美国的重要法令之一。美国独立后，联邦政府对西部土地实行国有化，并决定按地段分块出售，以增加政府的收入，偿还国债和满足土地投机者的要求。但出售土地单位面积大、价格高，西部移民无力购买，因而展开了长期争取无偿分配土地的斗争。由于南部奴隶主的阻挠，直到南北战争前，无偿授予移民土地的法案均被参议院否决。南部奴隶主的政治代表退出国会后，林肯政府得以实现共和党提出的宅地纲领，国会众议院和参议院于1862年2月28日和5月6日先后通过了宅地法。5月20日林肯颁布此项法令。

《宅地法》规定每个美国公民只交纳10美元登记费，便能在西部得160英亩土地，连续耕种5年之后就成为这块土地的合法主人。这一措施从根本上消除了南方奴隶主夺取西部土地的可能性，同时也满足了广大农民的迫切要求，大大激发了农民奋勇参战的积极性。

亚伯拉罕·林肯（AbrahamLincoln），第16任美国总统，黑人奴隶制的废除者。其任总统期间，美国爆发内战，林肯坚决反对国家分裂。他废除了叛乱各州的奴隶制度，颁布了《宅地法》和《解放黑人奴隶宣言》两项重要法案。林肯击败了南方分离势力，维护了美利坚联邦及其领土上不分人种、人人生而平等的权利。

原文

SEC.1.BeitenactedbytheSenateandHouseofRepresentativesoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainCongressassembled,Thatanypersonwhoistheheadofafamily,orwhohasarrivedattheageoftwenty-oneyears,andisacitizenoftheUnitedStates,orwhoshallhavefiledhisdeclarationofintentiontobecomesuch,asrequiredbythenaturalizationlawsoftheUnitedStates,andwhohasneverbornearmsagainsttheUnitedStatesGovernmentorgivenaidandcomforttoitsenemies,shall,fromandafterthefirstJanuary,eighteenhundredand.sixty-three,beentitledtoenteronequartersectionoralessquantityofunappropriatedpubliclands,uponwhichsaidpersonmayhavefiledapreemptionclaim,orwhichmay,atthetimetheapplicationismade,besubjecttopreemptionatonedollarandtwenty-fivecents,orless,peracre;oreightyacresorlessofsuchunappropriatedlands,attwodollarsandfiftycentsperacre,tobelocatedinabody,inconformitytothelegalsubdivisionsofthepubliclands,andafterthesameshallhavebeensurveyed:Provided,Thatanypersonowningandresidingonlandmay,undertheprovisionsofthisact,enterotherlandlyingcontiguoustohisorhersaidland,whichshallnot,withthelandsoalreadyownedandoccupied,exceedintheaggregateonehundredandsixtyacres.

SEC.2.Andbeitfurtherenacted,Thatthepersonapplyingforthebenefitofthisactshall,uponapplicationtotheregisterofthelandofficeinwhichheorsheisabouttomakesuchentry,makeaffidavitbeforethesaidregisterorreceiverthatheorsheistheheadofafamily,oristwenty-oneyearsormoreofage,orshallhaveperformedserviceinthearmyornavyoftheUnitedStates,andthathehasneverbornearmsagainsttheGovernmentoftheUnitedStatesorgivenaidandcomforttoitsenemies,andthatsuchapplicationismadeforhisorherexclusiveuseandbenefit,andthatsaidentryismadeforthepurposeofactualsettlementandcultivation,andnoteitherdirectlyorindirectlyfortheuseorbenefitofanyotherpersonorpersonswhomsoever;anduponfilingthesaidaffidavitwiththeregisterorreceiver,andonpaymentoftendollars,heorsheshallthereuponbepermittedtoenterthequantityoflandspecified:Provided,however,Thatnocertificateshallbegivenorpatentissuedthereforuntiltheexpirationoffiveyearsfromthedateofsuchentry;andif,attheexpirationofsuchtime,oratanytimewithintwoyearsthereafter,thepersonmakingsuchentry;or,ifhebedead,hiswidow;orincaseofherdeath,hisheirsordevisee;orincaseofawidowmakingsuchentry,herheirsordevisee,incaseofherdeath;shall.provebytwocrediblewitnessesthathe,she,ortheyhaveresideduponorcultivatedthesameforthetermoffiveyearsimmediatelysucceedingthetimeoffilingtheaffidavitaforesaid,andshallmakeaffidavitthatnopartofsaidlandhasbeenalienated,andthathehasbornerueallegiancetotheGovernmentoftheUnitedStates;then,insuchcase,he,she,orthey,ifatthattimeacitizenoftheUnitedStates,shallbeentitledtoapatent,asinothercasesprovidedforbylaw:Andprovided,further,Thatincaseofthedeathofbothfatherandmother,leavinganInfantchild,orchildren,undertwenty-oneyearsofage,therightandfeeshallensuretothebenefitofsaidinfantchildorchildren;andtheexecutor,administrator,orguardianmay,atanytimewithintwoyearsafterthedeathofthesurvivingparent,andinaccordancewiththelawsoftheStateinwhichsuchchildrenforthetimebeinghavetheirdomicil,sellsaidlandforthebenefitofsaidinfants,butfornootherpurpose;andthepurchasershallacquiretheabsolutetitlebythepurchase,andbeentitledtoapatentfromtheUnitedStates,onpaymentoftheofficefeesandsumofmoneyhereinspecified.

SEC.3.Andbeitfurtherenacted,Thattheregisterofthelandofficeshallnoteallsuchapplicationsonthetractbooksandplatsof,hisoffice,andkeeparegisterofallsuchentries,andmakereturnthereoftotheGeneralLandOffice,togetherwiththeproofuponwhichtheyhavebeenfounded.

SEC.4.Andbeitfurtherenacted,Thatnolandsacquiredundertheprovisionsofthisactshallinanyeventbecomeliabletothesatisfactionofanydebtordebtscontractedpriortotheissuingofthepatenttherefor.

SEC.5.Andbeitfurtherenacted,Thatif,atanytimeafterthefilingoftheaffidavit,asrequiredinthesecondsectionofthisact,andbeforetheexpirationofthefiveyearsaforesaid,itshallbeproven,afterduenoticetothesettler,tothesatisfactionoftheregisterofthelandoffice,thatthepersonhavingfiledsuchaffidavitshallhaveactuallychangedhisorherresidence,orabandonedthesaidlandformorethansixmonthsatanytime,thenandinthateventthelandsoenteredshallreverttothegovernment.

SEC.6.Andbeitfurtherenacted,Thatnoindividualshallbepermittedtoacquiretitletomorethanonequartersectionundertheprovisionsofthisact;andthattheCommissioneroftheGeneralLandOfficeisherebyrequiredtoprepareandissuesuchrulesandregulations,consistentwiththisact,asshallbenecessaryandpropertocarryitsprovisionsintoeffect;andthattheregistersandreceiversoftheseverallandofficesshallbeentitledtoreceivethesamecompensationforanylandsenteredundertheprovisionsofthisactthattheyarenowentitledtoreceivewhenthesamequantityoflandisenteredwithmoney,onehalftobepaidbythepersonmakingtheapplicationatthetimeofsodoing,andtheotherhalfontheissueofthecertificatebythepersontowhomitmaybeissued;butthisshallnotbeconstruedtoenlargethemaximumofcompensationnowprescribedbylawforanyregisterorreceiver:Provided,Thatnothingcontainedinthisactshallbesoconstruedastoimpairorinterfereinanymannerwhateverwithexistingpreemptionrights:Andprovided,further,Thatallpersonswhomayhavefiledtheirapplicationsforapreemptionrightpriortothepassageofthisact,shallbeentitledtoallprivilegesofthisact:Provided,further,Thatnopersonwhohasserved,ormayhereafterserve,foraperiodofnotlessthanfourteendaysinthearmyornavyoftheUnitedStates,eitherregularorvolunteer,underthelawsthereof,duringtheexistenceofanactualwar,domesticorforeign,shallbedeprivedofthebenefitsofthisactonaccountofnothavingattainedtheageoftwenty-oneyears.

SEC.7.Andbeitfurtherenacted,Thatthefifthsectionoftheactentitled"AnactinadditiontoanactmoreeffectuallytoprovideforthepunishmentofcertaincrimesagainsttheUnitedStates,andforotherpurposes,"approvedthethirdofMarch,intheyeareighteenhundredandfifty-seven,shallextendtoalloaths,affirmations,andaffidavits,requiredorauthorizedbythisact.

SEC.8.Andbeitfurtherenacted,Thatnothinginthisactshallbe80construedastopreventanypersonwhohasavailedhimorherselfofthebenefitsofthefirstsectionofthisact,frompayingtheminimumprice,orthepricetowhichthesamemayhavegraduated,forthequantityoflandsoenteredatanytimebeforetheexpirationofthefiveyears,andobtainingapatentthereforfromthegovernment,asinothercasesprovidedbylaw,onmakingproofofsettlementandcultivationasprovidedbyexistinglawsgrantingpreemptionrights.

Approved,May20,1862.

原文大意

凡一家之长或年满21岁、从未参加叛乱之合众国公民或符合入籍规定申请加入美国国籍的外国人，在宣誓获得土地是为了垦殖目的并缴纳10美元费用后，均可登记领取总数不超过160英亩（1英亩=0.40公顷）的西部国有土地作为份地。登记人在宅地上居住并耕种满5年，就可获得土地执照而成为该项宅地的所有者。如果登记人提出优先购买的申请，可于6个月后，以每英亩1.25美元的价格购买之。

词汇积累

enact制定

HouseofRepresentatives众议院

preemption优先权

affidavit宣誓书

provision规定

备考干货/主题阅读/趣闻感悟