SHSND# 1982.227

Abraham Lincoln never visited what is now North Dakota but his presidency shaped the character of the future state. During the Lincoln presidency, the Dakota Territory was organized and Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Act, providing land for settlers; the Morrill Act, providing land for agricultural colleges; and the Northern Pacific Railroad Act, providing land for a railroad. The land we know as North Dakota would be forever changed by the policies carried out and laws enacted during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.