Why federal government owned more land in the western states than in the eastern states because?
Land in the East is mostly tillable (easily farmable) and more easily adheres to the original 160 acre homestead model of our early government. Land in the West is a great deal more arid and rugged. It was difficult for early pioneers and settlers to subdue and make a living on only 160 acres. Because of the difficulty, many settlers gave up their homestead claims and an even greater number were never claimed to begin with. Therefore, the government is the owner and has been left with a vast resource from which much or our natural resources, timber and animal agriculture is generated.
