Land in the United States of America was acquired by claim, seizure, annexation, purchase, treaty, or war from
France,
Great Britain, the
Kingdom of Hawaii,
Mexico,
Russia,
Spain, and the
Native American peoples. commemorating a land patent from the Crown to
Captain John Mason. As
England began to colonize
America,
the Crown made large grants of territory to individuals and companies. In turn, the companies and colonial governors later made smaller grants of land based on actual surveys of the land. Therefore, in colonial America along
Atlantic seaboard, a link was established between
surveying a land tract and its "patenting" as
private property. Numerous other land patents were granted by the
Crown for lands purchased by private individuals from Native American tribes. Many original colonies' land patents came from the respective controlling country, such as England. Most of these patents were granted permanently and remain in effect to this day. The
US government upholds these patents through treaty law, and like all land patents, they are immutable and cannot be altered. Many early land patents granted by Native peoples were disputed, sometimes leading to legal challenges, due to differing interpretations of "private property" and "ownership" between these groups. Indigenous Americans typically viewed land and its resources as communal property, supported by oral traditions. In contrast, individuals from Western Europe held more defined and limited perspectives on property, its transfer, and its resolution within a system governed by written laws, Crown authority, officials, courts, and permanent documentation. After the
American Revolution and the ratification of the
US Constitution, the
US Treasury Department was placed in charge of managing all public lands. In 1812, the
United States General Land Office was created to assume that duty. In accordance with specific Acts of Congress and authorized by the
US President, the
General Land Office issued over 2 million land grants known as land patents. These patents transferred the title of particular parcels of public land from the nation to private entities, such as individuals or private companies. Some of the granted land had associated survey or other expenses. Patentees could pay these fees in cash,
homestead a claim, or acquire ownership through various donation acts passed by
Congress to transfer public lands to private hands. Regardless of the method, the General Land Office adhered to a two-step process when granting a patent. Initially, the private claimant visited the land office in the land district where the public land was situated. The claimant completed entry papers to designate the public land, and the land office register verified the availability of the claimed land by checking the local registrar records. The receiver collected the claimant's payment, as even homesteaders were required to pay administrative fees. Subsequently, the district land office register and receiver forwarded the documentation to the General Land Office in Washington. This office conducted a thorough review to ensure the accuracy of the claim, the land's availability, and the payment method. Ultimately, the General Land Office issued a land patent for the public land in question and forwarded it to the President for his signature. The first US land patent was issued on March 4, 1788, to John Martin. That patent reserves to the United States one third of all
gold,
silver,
lead and
copper within the claimed land. , and within the
Seven Ranges land tract. The parcel was sold by the Marietta Land Office in
Marietta, Ohio, in 1834. The land patent specifies any usage restrictions, such as oil and mineral rights, roadways, ditches, and canals, that apply to the land. These restrictions are separate from state and local statutory regulations concerning property associated with the land, including zoning laws, building codes, and property taxes that pertain to both the land and any structures on it. Private property rights associated with land patents can be further negotiated based on the terms of private contracts. These rights, inherent in patented land, pass from one heir to another, from an heir to an assignee, or from an assignee to another assignee, and are immutable except through private agreements like a
warranty deed or
quitclaim deed. The legal framework governing a specific parcel of patented land is typically dictated by the Congressional Act or treaty through which it was obtained, or by the terms outlined in the patent itself. For instance, US laws governing the land may be influenced by acts like the
Homestead Act or reservations specified in the patent. Similarly, the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Hidalgo dictates jurisdictional provisions concerning extensive land areas in California and neighboring regions. Entities other than natural persons, such as trusts and corporations, are not eligible to acquire land patents unless specifically authorized by an act of the US Congress. One instance of Congress granting land through patents to corporate entities is exemplified by the railroad grants issued under the
Pacific Railroad Acts. These grants were provided to compensate railroad companies for constructing a
transcontinental railroad spanning across America. ==Former US territories==