Why the Rush?

Douglas W. Allen is a Burnaby Mountain Professor in the Department of Economics at Simon Fraser University. He has over 100 academic publications and three books: The Nature of the Farm (with Dean Lueck, 2002); The Institutional Revolution (2012, Douglass North Book Prize); and Economic Analysis of Property Rights (with Yoram Barzel, 2023). He has won SFU's Silver Medal for Academic Excellence and three university teaching awards. Bryan Leonard is a SER Associate Professor at the Haub School of Environment & Natural Resources School of Energy Resources, University of Wyoming. His research explores the implications of institutions on resource allocation problems, focusing on land, water, and energy resources.  Within their historical context he addresses: i) efficiency equity tradeoffs; ii) property rights and collective action problems; and iii) historical sources of modern challenges. His research has appeared in journals such as The Economic Journal, The Journal of Political Economy: Microeconomics, Science, and The American Political Science Review.

• 1. Introduction; Part I. Homesteading Fundamentals: 2. Homesteading basics; 3. The theory of homestead land grants; Part II. Three Periods of Homesteading: 4. Homesteading, the civil war, and the south: 1862–1871; 5. Railroads and early homesteading: 1862–1890; 6. Late homesteading and tribal land dispossession: 1890–1934; Part III. Homesteading Special Cases: 7. The Oklahoma land rushes; 8. Homesteading in Canada; Part IV. Homesteading and the Long Run: 9. Homesteading and modern land development; 10. Cultural and political dimensions of homesteading; 11. Conclusion.

'Why the Rush provides a fresh and provocative understanding of the history of homesteading in the United States and Canada. Allen and Leonard combine the innovative use of new data sources with a path breaking application of the theory of the governance of newly settled lands. Their theoretical insights and empirical work makes this volume an important contribution to literature on homesteading.' Peter J. Hill, Professor of Economics Emeritus, Wheaton College and Senior Fellow, Property and Environment Research Center