What is a necessity for settlers under the Pre-emption Act?

The correct necessity for settlers under the Pre-emption Act is that they must improve the land. This requirement was central to the intention of the Act, which aimed to encourage settlement and cultivation of public lands in the United States. By mandating that settlers make improvements, such as building a dwelling or cultivating crops, the government sought to ensure that the land would be put to productive use rather than simply held speculatively.

This improvement requirement not only provided a tangible commitment from the settlers but also helped to establish a form of legal claim to the land. Once the settlers demonstrated that they had improved the land, they could secure a right to purchase it from the government at a predetermined price, which was typically less than the market value. This process thus facilitated the settling of frontier areas by ensuring that those who actively worked the land had a pathway to ownership.