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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY : July 2, 1862 U.S. Rep. Justin Morrill (R-VT) wins passage of Land Grant Act, establishing colleges open to African-Americans, including such students as George Washington Carver. Morrill introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate in 1857 that would allow a cash-poor but land-rich federal government to appropriate public land for aid to state colleges and “promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes.” That bill was vetoed by President James Buchanan. Undeterred, Morrill later presented a second bill that was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862.