US Land Policy and the Commodification of Arid Land (1862-1920)

Arid land exacerbated the tension between the stated purpose of land policy and its outcome. The history of this elevated tension on and land is not explained by parochial motives and desires; the explanation does not reside in a detailed enumeration of speculation, monopolization, fraud, and the mi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic issues 2001-09, Vol.35 (3), p.657-674
Main Author: Krall, Lisi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural land
Agricultural policy
Arid land
Capitalism
Desertification
History
Homesteading
Homesteads
Land allotment
Land economics
Laws, regulations and rules
Pastures
Property legislation
Public land
Ranching
Studies
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Summary:Arid land exacerbated the tension between the stated purpose of land policy and its outcome. The history of this elevated tension on and land is not explained by parochial motives and desires; the explanation does not reside in a detailed enumeration of speculation, monopolization, fraud, and the misery of the individuals caught up in this drama. The explanation resides in understanding the interplay of material forces and cultural attitudes. Specifically, arid and agriculturally diverse land necessitates reclamation and flexibility in the sizing of agricultural units. These demands exacerbate the tendencies in agrarian capitalism toward concentration, speculation, and individual vulnerability. The cultural moment of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries remained stubbornly agrarian and this bent was reflected in the tenor of land policy which reflected this agrarian habit of thought. The numbers of policies the government passed during this period were testament to the underlying difficulty in reconciling the outcome of land policy with its agrarian face.
ISSN:0021-3624
1946-326X
DOI:10.1080/00213624.2001.11506395