Presented by Willard Hurst as part of his course "Introduction to Modern American Legal History" at the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1978. The Ordinance of 1785 is further examined as Hurst emphasizes the precedents behind the government's decision to turn the land over for fee simple ownership. These roots in favor of a private market are weighed against policies prohibiting a free market between Indians and settlers, the Marshall Court's decision to first survey all land plots, and the local governments established by squatters. The use of law as a standardized instrument for trade is further examined through a discussion of claims court representatives, the development of administrative agencies, and the use of fiscal powers to subsidize land through the Homestead Acts of 1862. America's first Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, serves as the focus of discussion as Hurst details the lasting effect his policies for governmental action had upon the country. His vigorous use of governmental force in order to keep the peace, and his efforts to facilitate economic growth with subsidizes and protective tariffs are thoroughly examined. Hurst also explains his reasons for wanting to intervene in the economy, the ideas he borrowed from Adam Smith on the three main duties of government, and his concept of the government's multiplier effect.
