In Part 2 of our America250 series, Randy Newberg explores one of the most overlooked chapters in American history: how the United States went from owning 1.8 billion acres of public land to just over 600 million acres.

Following the Louisiana Purchase and westward expansion, Congress used public land to build the nation. Millions of acres were granted to states to fund public schools, homesteaders seeking a better life, railroad companies connecting the country, Native tribes through treaties and settlements, and military veterans as payment for their service.

These land transfers shaped the America we know today, but they also left behind something even more valuable. The mountains, deserts, forests, canyons, and wild landscapes that remained became the foundation of our National Forests, National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and Bureau of Land Management lands.

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, understanding how these public lands came to exist is essential to understanding our nation's history and the responsibility we share in protecting them.