For whom and to what extent was the American west a land of opportunity from 1865 to 1890?

The American west was a land of opportunity for immigrants, farmers, and former slaves. A variety of Homestead Acts were passed between 1862 and 1916, enabling those qualified to take 160 - 640 acres at a very low price or for free.

The single most important qualification was the "Homesteader" had to be a US citizen, or have filed a declaration to become a citizen. Afro-Americans became qualified with the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 declaring them citizens, but much of the land was taken by Germans, Norwegians, Danes, and the other western European nationalities who made up the bulk of American Immigration during that time period.