Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Land for Sale," 1977

    Embedded Resource

Courtesy of Iowa Public Television, "Iowa Land for Sale," The Prairie Pioneers - Iowa Public Television, 1977

Description

This video from Iowa Public Television describes how settlers purchased their land from the government, speculators and the railroads in the early 1800s. In brief, the government land was first sold for $1.25 an acre to speculators. In the 1850s, over 10 percent of all land in Iowa was given to the railroads. As settlers began to enter the state, they bought land from the speculators, directly from the government or the railroads.

Source-Dependent Questions

• When coming to Iowa, who were you able to buy your land from?
• How much did it cost for an acre of land in the 1800s? In 2017, an acre of Iowa farmland cost about $7,300. Why does land cost more now?

Citation Information 

"Iowa Land for Sale," The Prairie Pioneers - Iowa Public Television, 1977. Courtesy of Iowa Public Television