The Homestead Act of 1862 was signed by our late President Abraham Lincoln. The Homestead Act transferred more than 200 million acres of public land to private land for purchase. Anyone who wanted to move west simply had to apply for land, usually about 160 acres and after five years of living there it was theirs for free or after 6 months they could buy it for a dollar and sixty-two cents per acre. The settlers went in search of gold and land. The land is hard and much more suitable for raising livestock than for agriculture. The ability to easily acquire land along with the introduction of the transcontinental railroad led to a boom in westward expansion. The transcontinental railroad made westward movement easier, although one such example was that of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe. Chief Joseph refused to sign treaties with the government and after rogue tribesmen attacked white settlers, he and his tribe attempted to flee to Canada but were arrested and forced to settle on a reservation. The Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand, was also a prime example of cruelty toward Native Americans. The Battle of the Little Bighorn took place in 1876 in Montana. The government relied on a treaty signed with the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. They were already placed on a reservation, but when gold was discovered on the reservation, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer was sent to trap them and then wait for reinforcements to force the Native Americans off their land. Custer disobeyed orders and attacked instead. Chief Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull of the Sioux tribes knew of the plan and set a trap for the military regiment and killed them all. This battle was one of the greatest victories of the natives.