AICP Exam - History of Land Settlement

Provided for the rectangular land survey of the Old Northwest. The survey was completed following the end of the Revolutionary War and provided a systematic way to divide and distribute land to the public.

In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act, which provided 160 acres of land to settlers for a fee of $18 and a guarantee of five years of residence. The result was the settlement of 270 million acres, or 10% of the land area of the United States. In the same year, Congress passed the Morrill Act, which allowed new western states to establish colleges.

In 1891, the General Land Law Revision Act was passed by Congress. This Act provided the President of the United States with the power to create forest preserves by proclamation.

In 1897, Congress passed the Forest Management Act, which allowed the Secretary of the Interior to manage forest preserves

In 1902, the U.S. Reclamation Act was passed. It allowed the funds raised from the sale of public land in arid states to be used to construct water storage and irrigation systems.

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed a Public Lands Commission to propose rules for land development and management.

In 1906, the Antiquities Act was the first law to provide federal protection for archaeological sites. The Act allowed for the designation of National Monuments

In 1935, the Resettlement Administration was formed to carry out experiments in population resettlement and land reform. The result was the development of Greenbelt towns.

In 1944, the Serviceman's Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill, guaranteed home loans to veterans. The result was the rapid development of suburbs.

Built in 1959 - Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota was the first indoor, climate-controlled regional mall.

A United States federal law that established the General Services Administration which is responsible for managing, acquiring, and disposing of federal property.

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (better known as the G.I. Bill) provided for college or vocational education for returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as GIs or G.I.s) as well as one year of unemployment compensation. It also provided loans for returning veterans to buy homes and start businesses.