One law that helped build the west was the Homestead Act. In order to build towns, they needed population and money and the Homestead Act did both. It brought in new people and those people had to pay property taxes. Homestead basically gave anyone 160 acres of land. You were expected to develop the land, build a home, and farm. After five years you showed you were using the land, paid a small transaction fee, and the land was yours. I’m thinking I could use 160 acres right now.
Historically Speaking 