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Teka Commission of Legal Sciences Polish Academy of Sciences Branch in Lublin

Vol. 18 No. 1 (2025)

Articles

The Legal Development of Land Tenure in the United States: History, Politics, and Economic Power

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32084/tkp.9508  [Google Scholar]
Published: 2025-07-31

Abstract

Land ownership in the United States is a fundamental economic, social, and legal development issue. This study examines the development of American land ownership from the colonial period to the present day, influenced by legal precedents and state policy. Through legal analysis, the impact of the Discovery Doctrine and Johnson v. M’Intosh decisions on Aboriginal land ownership is discussed, the role of the Homestead Act in the process of land democratization and its subsequent stage in the context of the mechanism of corporate land ownership. The study also analyzes the importance of the social function of land and the state’s role in managing land ownership. International comparative analysis contributes to a better understanding of the features of the American land ownership model and its contemporary problems.

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