Survey and settlement of public lands. Section 16 in each township to finance public education. Raised to two sections of land after 1848, then to four with the admission to statehood of UT, AZ, & NM.

Land Law of 1796, 1800, 1804

Governing the sale of lands. Land was auctioned, first in 640-, then 320-, then 160-acre tracts.

General Land Office created, 1812

Charged with the responsibility to "perform all acts and things touching or respecting the public lands of the United States."

Military land bounties

To reward those who served in the Revolutionary army, War of 1812, military service. Amount of land varied according to rank (100 to 1,000 acres) and the practice continued until the Civil War.

Land Law of 1820

Discontinued sale of land on credit. Land could be purchased for as little as $1.25 per acre, in tracts as small as 80 acres. Unauctioned land could be purchased in unlimited quantities.

Preemption Law of 1841

160 acres at the minimum price of $1.25 per acre.

Also in 1841: 500,000 acres to each of the public lands states for internal improvements.

Homestead Act, 1862

Free 160 acres to heads of households, widows, single persons. Patent issued after 5 years of residence and cultivation.

Morrill Act of 1862

Land given to states, 30,000 acres per each senator and representative the state had, to finance agricultural and mechanical arts colleges.

Railroad land grants

The government gave away 128 million acres between 1862 and 1871. At first, the railroads received five alternate sections on each side of the track for each mile of track laid and within ten miles on each side. Increased to 20 alternate sections after 1864. Public opposition ended the grants after 1871.

Yosemite Act of 1864

Yosemite Valley is given to the state of California as a “public park” by Abraham Lincoln, setting the precedent for the national wilderness park idea