UW Professor’s New Book Offers Fresh Economic and Data-Driven Insight into Westward Expansion

A groundbreaking new book co-written by Bryan Leonard, a University of Wyoming associate professor, blends economics with data-driven historical analysis and offers a trove of new insights into one of the defining chapters of American history -- the settlement of the West and the Homestead Act of 1862.

“Why the Rush?: An Institutional Economic Analysis of Homesteading and the Settlement of the West” was published by Cambridge University Press Thursday, Feb. 19.

Douglas W. Allen, the Burnaby Mountain Professor of Economics at Simon Fraser University in Canada, co-wrote the book with Leonard, associate professor and SER chair of environment and natural resources at UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources and School of Energy Resources.

“Why the Rush?” examines how the institution of homesteading didn’t just encourage settlement; it established meaningful economic property rights and helped define who could lay claim to the land, the authors explain. Their analysis shows how homesteading incentivized millions to move westward, fostered local sovereignty with minimal military force and played a central role in shaping economic institutions during a transformative period of American history.

The Homestead Act of 1862 was a pivotal federal law that offered settlers the chance to claim up to 160 acres of public land -- a policy that encouraged migration and laid the foundation for rural communities across the West. More than 160 million acres were claimed under subsequent Homestead Acts, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the land in the United States and dramatically influencing settlement patterns and economic development.

“This book will be of particular interest to Wyoming communities and beyond, where the legacy of homesteading and westward expansion remains woven into the region’s cultural and historical fabric,” Leonard says.

About the Authors

Allen, in addition to his position at Simon Fraser University, is an economist internationally known for his research in institutional economics, economic history and property rights. He is the author of several books and more than 100 academic publications.

Leonard’s research explores the implications of institutions on resource allocation, with a focus on land, water and energy. His work also has appeared in leading interdisciplinary journals.

To learn more about the book, go here.