The largest economic expansion in American history by far occurred in the wake of the Civil War after President Abraham Lincoln signed The Homestead Act of 1862 into law. This legendary piece of legislation GRANTED citizens 160 acres of public land with the understanding that they live on it for 5 years, improve it (i.e. build a home), and pay a small registration fee. In all the US government GRANTED more than 270 million acres to 1.6 million homesteaders who collectively opened up America west of the Mississippi.

  It is not commmon for everyones kid to be an overachiever in athletics. I suspect it is even less common to have a few kids that show promise in the very same discipline. Well…..it becomes even more narrow to think more than one of your kids could be olympic