"Morril Act" by Justin Morril that concerned the young people who wanted to educate and get higher education in engineering, agriculture and military service.

Essay by bobanstUniversity, Bachelor's May 2003

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Morrill Act

Between the Civil War and the First World War, United States went through a giant growth. The population doubled from 38.6 million to 76 million people. This happened because of the immigrants from Europe, and the enlarged birth rate. The United States had to take action. They adopted the most liberal land policy in history. So, America started quickly urbanizing. By doubling the population the area of industrialization came along. Many factories were constructed, and mills doubled their number. Citizens of the States were finally satisfied with new technologies and the amount of new products. But these were the advantages of the industrialization. It had its own disadvantages. Factories polluted the water, the air, the environment. The main thing that worried Americans was the result of the industrialization on body politics. Those who played a role in politics were only wealthy people. It was an absurd thing some individual to participate in Government.

Despite the advantages of the industrialization there were anti-industrial reformers. Nevertheless, America had not as powerful movement as Luddites in Britain who destroyed labor-saving machinery that they thought would cause unemployment. In the distant 1862 Congress passed two Acts. One of them is the Homestead Act allowable any citizen to be given a 160 acres of land and to pay for it after five years. This Act was very helpful and enabled any citizen or any planning to be one to inhabit and build farms themselves. The Second of the Acts was the Morrill Act. This Act was sponsored by Justin Morrill which made possible for western states to build colleges for their populace. This removed the prejudices of the American democratic thought that basic education is only of practical use. With this Act the higher education became easier to get to. Justin Morrill gave...