Morrill Act

The Morrill Act of July 2, 1862, also referred to as the Morrill Land Grant Act or the Land Grant Colleges Act, laid the foundation for state universities. The act bears the name of its creator, the Vermont Republican representative Justin Smith Morrill. Passed during the Civil War, the act marked the beginning of the federal government's involvement in public higher education. With it, Congress gave each state thirty thousand acres of federal land for each of its congressional districts to promote public education in agriculture, engineering, and military science. The land or the income from its sale was to be used to create or support educational institutions that fulfilled the aims of Congress. The legislation eventually led to the creation of sixty-nine colleges and universities, although it also promoted a certain degree of speculation. As some states were hard-pressed to meet wartime expenses, they sold their land cheaply to wealthy entrepreneurs, yet this should not overshadow the importance of the act in promoting the education of larger numbers of students and encouraging colleges to establish practical courses in agricultural, technical, and industrial subjects to attract students from the working classes.