This Map Shows How Much Land the Government Owns In Every State

thefederalistpapers.org

The rise of progressivism in America can be clearly seen by taking a look at what land the government owns.

The eastern two thirds of the country have little federally owned land. The dominant belief at the time these states were developed was that private property is a natural right of the individual.

The government needed land only to fulfill its basic duties. There were Federal buildings, post offices and post roads, public parks and libraries, but federally owned land was kept at a minimum.  The government mostly stayed out of the way, leaving the majority of land to private ownership.

Western states are different. Land ownership is inverted, and the feds own an overwhelming majority of the land. The dominant belief had shifted by the time these states were developed.