Viewing Morrill Act (1862) and the Second Morrill Act (1890).Morrill Act (1862) and the Second Morrill Act (1890).The Morrill Act of 1862 established colleges in each state (except those in rebellion) that would educate people in agriculture, mechanical arts, and other trades. It gave each state 30,000 acres of public land for each Senator and Representative. The land was to be sold and the proceeds invested in an endowment the interest from which would support the new colleges in each state. The act was named after its sponsor, Vermont Congressman Justin Smith Morrill, and was signed by President Lincoln on July 2, 1862. It was amended on July 23, 1866, to permit former Confederate states to qualify for its benefits.
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