>>1353879It's really not complicated. The feds controlled everything and found hundreds of ways to use it for economic benefit, parcelling it out for any use, farmland mainly in Iowa,but gave lots of it away to railroads . Much of the far west had no economic use in the 1800s so the feds kept it, but upon statehood gave lots to the states for the specific purpose of funding public schools or other stuff. Those sales and transfers continue to this day enriching those who can Jew the system
Pic related, zoom in on this map and look at the parcels the state got
