Edition 2: How Public Lands Came to Be

A Very Brief Historical Overview

Land Acquisition and Expansion

The history of public lands in the United States began in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as U.S. policy prioritized land acquisition across North America — a period referred to as the Era of Western Expansion. Through purchases and treaties — including the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Mexican Cession (1848) — …