Plenty of good land, and liberty to manage their own affairs in their own way, seem to be the two great causes of the prosperity of all new colonies." That statement by Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, comes close to summarizing the history of the United States in a single sentence. The abundance of land and natural resources in the New World was the single most important factor in this country's development. Since the beginning of the United States, policies concerning the acquisition of land, its distribution and its management have been a constant topic of political debate, second in importance, perhaps, only to questions of personal freedom. However, as we have seen m many ways, and in many time periods, issues of land ownership, land access and land use are intimately bound with issues of freedom and justice.

Of course, land is an integral part of social and economic life in every time and every society, because the land is where we live. Every material thing we make, use or enjoy comes ultimately from the land. However, this universal relationship has had a special character in the United States of America, because of our colonial history, and because of the great westward march that came to be known as "Manifest Destiny."

In the first days of colonization, trading companies controlled the parceling out of land. In time, European monarchs, competing for the wealth of empire, laid claim to lands in the New World, and proprietary colonial possessions were given out by kings. As settlers moved west, land that the US government had acquired through sale or conquest was granted to settlers, or to land corporations, or to railroads. Finally, great acreages of land -- nearly one third of the area of the US -- is still held by the Federal Government. Much is used by the military; some is leased to ranchers or rniners; some forms the National Park system. Finally, a tiny faction of the land of North America is held by those who once claimed this entire continent as their home, but not their possession: the Native Americans.

From the incredible variety of terrains and climates in this country evolved different regional economies. The industrial Northeast, the agricultural South and the wide-open West all pressed their regional economic interests on the national government. These sectional disputes came close to fracturing the Union. The wealth of different traditions, attitudes and folklore of the United States arose from the relationship of restless Americans to their land.

Most Americans have believed in private property. Indeed, the promise of their very own piece of land was one of the greatest reasons why colonists endured perilous sea voyages, and settlers covered thousands of dangerous miles. The concept of private land ownership was foreign to most Native Americans, many of whom were nomads who could scarcely imagine that the land's bounty had any limits. The Europeans, unable to afford land in their own countries, insisted that the land they claimed was theirs by right, to own, to sell, or to bequeath to their heirs as they wished. No one suffered from this, as long as there was plenty of land to go around (and there was, for awhile, once the original inhabitants were subdued or destroyed). Nevertheless, an inevitable question emerged: what about those who could not claim or inherit land? Had they no right to it at all? Many important American statesmen understood that question. Here are statements of four of our Presidents:

Abraham Lincoln: The land, the earth God gave to man for his home, sustenance and support should never be the possession of any man, corporation, society or unfriendly government, any more than the air or water, is as much. An individual, or company, or enterprise requiring land should hold no more than is required for their home and sustenance, and never more than they have in actual use in the prudent management of their legitimate business, and this much should not be permitted when it creates an exclusive monopoly.

Thomas Jefferson:The earth belongs in usufruct to the living. Whenever there are in any country uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have so far been extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as a common stock for men to labor and live on.

The next two Presidential statements show the influence of Henry George, the 19th century economist and social reformer, who advocated taxes on land value as a means to bring more land into use, limit its monopolization, and improve productive opportunities for workers

Theodore Roosevelt: The burden of municipal taxation should be so shifted as to put the weight of taxation upon the unearned rise in the value of land itself, rather than upon the improvements.

Woodrow Wilson: This country needs a new and sincere thought in politics, coherently, distinctly and boldly uttered by men who are sure of their ground. The power of men 1ike Henry George seems to me to mean that.

The frontier may be closed, and people may feel removed from their simple past when so many lived and worked closely with the land. Nevertheless, the United States is still blessed with tremendous natural resources. This country grows far more food than it needs, and annually exports millions of tons. Vast potential lies untapped; for example, it is estimated that a network of windmills on the Midwestern plains could provide one-third of this nation's electricity. Millions of Americans own their own homes. However, our country faces grave inequities and vital problems in maintaining and administering its land. Three per cent of this nation's people own or control 97% of its privately-owned land. In New York City, the most populous and heavily-built place in the country, fully ten-per cent of the land available for building is vacant -- entirely unused -- while 100,000 people are homeless.

Just as the land has been such a defining factor in our history, the decisions we make about the use and care of our natural resources may well determine whether our country will remain the powerful, free and bountiful land we know as the United States of America.

Background Questions:

1. State Adam Smith's two causes for the prosperity of colonies.
2. Compare and contrast the views of Native Americans and European settlers concerning land ownership.
3. What were the views of Lincoln and Jefferson on land ownership?
4. State the views of Henry George on taxes.
5. Why do you think there is so much vacant land available for building in New York City?