What effect did the Homestead Act have on westward expansion?

The Homestead Act was a series of laws that were passed that allowed individuals and families to acquire federal land easily at little to no cost. This created an economic incentive for individuals to move Westward or to inhabit "empty" federal lands that had not been bought or were uncontrolled by other individuals. The goal was to create "homesteads" in uninhabited lands so that the lands would be populated by families and individuals.