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The Homestead and the Building of the Barbed Wire Fences, oil on paperboard by John Steuart Curry, c. 1935-1943.
The Homestead Act of 1862 accelerated settlement of the Western territory, guaranteeing title to 160 acres of surveyed land for each claimant who worked their plot for five years. Here, Curry frames a family of homesteaders in an idyllic rendering of the Great Plains, evoking a sense of promise that for many hopefuls who attempted to build a new life under the Act was never realized.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Curry, J. S. (2026, July 24). Homestead and the Building of the Barbed Wire Fences. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21961/homestead-and-the-building-of-the-barbed-wire-fenc/
Chicago Style
Curry, John Steuart. "Homestead and the Building of the Barbed Wire Fences." World History Encyclopedia, July 24, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21961/homestead-and-the-building-of-the-barbed-wire-fenc/.
MLA Style
Curry, John Steuart. "Homestead and the Building of the Barbed Wire Fences." World History Encyclopedia, 24 Jul 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21961/homestead-and-the-building-of-the-barbed-wire-fenc/.
