Why the Rush?

‘Why the Rush provides a fresh and provocative understanding of the history of homesteading in the United States and Canada. Allen and Leonard combine the innovative use of new data sources with a path breaking application of the theory of the governance of newly settled lands. Their theoretical insights and empirical work makes this volume an important contribution to literature on homesteading.’ Peter J. Hill, Professor of Economics Emeritus, Wheaton College and Senior Fellow, Property and Environment Research Center‘This fascinating book is a must read for students of North America’s colonization and settlement. Professors Allen and Leonard challenge conventional wisdom, including how to define ‘frontier,’ and show it was not the movement of troops that secured America’s West, but rather the movement of people. By combining rich historical data with detailed stories of individual families, the authors explain how homesteading granted ownership to rugged risk takers, and why that matters today.’ Dominic Parker, Anderson-Bascom Professor of Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Ilene and Morton Harris Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution at Stanford University

Douglas W. Allen is a Burnaby Mountain Professor in the Department of Economics at Simon Fraser University. He has over 100 academic publications and three books: The Nature of the Farm (with Dean Lueck, 2002); The Institutional Revolution (2012, Douglass North Book Prize); and Economic Analysis of Property Rights (with Yoram Barzel, 2023). He has won SFU’s Silver Medal for Academic Excellence and three university teaching awards.

Bryan Leonard is a SER Associate Professor at the Haub School of Environment & Natural Resources School of Energy Resources, University of Wyoming. His research explores the implications of institutions on resource allocation problems, focusing on land, water, and energy resources. Within their historical context he addresses: i) efficiency equity tradeoffs; ii) property rights and collective action problems; and iii) historical sources of modern challenges. His research has appeared in journals such as The Economic Journal, The Journal of Political Economy: Microeconomics, Science, and The American Political Science Review.