What does "homesteading" mean?

The act of appropriation of an unowned, scarce means, thereby gaining ownership of it; initial possession.

Homesteading

Common synonyms include: agrarian, agrarian living, back-to-land movement, claim, colonization, cultivate.

noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The act of appropriation of an unowned, scarce means, thereby gaining ownership of it; initial possession. uncountable
2
A lifestyle of self-sufficiency. uncountable

Verb

1
present participle and gerund of homestead form-of, gerund, participle, present

"Deeply held feelings about one’s home may be rooted in America’s homesteading, pioneering past."