从1776年9月16日的《国会法案》和1785年的《土地条例》开始，各种各样的国会法案管理着30个公共土地州的联邦土地分配。各种法案开辟了新界，确立了提供土地作为兵役补偿的做法，并将优先购买权扩大到寮屋居民。这些法案都导致联邦政府首次将土地转让给个人。

该清单并非详尽无遗，也不包括临时扩展先前法案规定的法案，或为个人利益而通过的私人法案。

美国公共土地法案的时间表

1776年9月16日：这项国会法案确立了授予100至500英亩土地的指导方针，称为“赏金土地”，供那些应征加入大陆军参加美国革命的人使用。

That Congress make provision for granting lands, in the following proportions: to the officers and soldiers who shall so engage in the service, and continue therein to the close of the war, or until discharged by Congress, and to the representatives of such officers and soldiers as shall be slain by the enemy: To a colonel, 500 acres; to a lieutenant colonel, 450; to a major, 400; to a captain, 300; to a lieutenant, 200; to an ensign, 150; each non-commissioned officer and soldier, 100...

1785年5月20日：国会颁布了第一部管理公共土地的法律，这是由于十三个新独立的州同意放弃其西部土地所有权，并允许土地成为新国家所有公民的共同财产。1785年俄亥俄州西北部公共土地法令规定，这些土地的调查和出售面积不得少于640英亩。这开始了联邦土地的现金录入系统。

Be it ordained by the United States in Congress assembled, that the territory ceded by individual States to the United States, which has been purchased of the Indian inhabitants, shall be disposed of in the following manner...

1800年5月10日：1800年《土地法》，也被其作者威廉·亨利·哈里森称为《哈里森土地法》，将最低可购买土地单位减少到320英亩，并引入了信贷销售选项，以鼓励土地销售。根据1800年《哈里森土地法》购买的土地可在四年内分四次指定付款。政府最终驱逐了数千名无法在规定时间内偿还贷款的个人，其中一些土地在1820年《土地法》取消违约之前被联邦政府多次转售。

An act providing for the sale of the land of the United States, in the territory north-west of the Ohio, and above the mouth of the Kentucky river.

1801年3月3日：1801年法案的通过是国会通过的许多法律中的第一项，这些法律给予西北地区的定居者优先购买权或优先权，这些定居者从约翰·克利夫斯·西姆斯（John Cleves Symmes）手中购买了土地，而约翰·克利夫斯·西姆斯是该地区的一名法官，他自己对土地的主张已被取消。

An Act giving a right of pre-emption to certain persons to certain persons who have contracted with John Cleves Symmes, or his associates, for lands lying between the Miami rivers, in the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio.

1807年3月3日：国会通过了一项法律，授予密歇根州某些定居者优先购买权，在此之前，法国和英国都曾在密歇根州进行过多次授予。

...to every person or persons in actual possession, occupancy, and improvement, of any tract or parcel of land in his, her, or their own right, at the time of the passing of this act, within that part of the Territory of Michigan, to which the Indian title has been extinguished, and which said tract or parcel of land was settled, occupied, and improved, by him, her, or them, prior to and on the first day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety six...the said tract or parcel of land thus possessed, occupied, and improved, shall be granted, and such occupant or occupants shall be confirmed in the title to the same, as an estate of inheritance, in fee simple...

1807年3月3日：1807年的《侵入法》试图阻止擅自占用者，或“在法律授权之前，在割让给美国的土地上建立定居点”。该法还授权政府在业主向政府请愿的情况下，强行将擅自占用者从私人土地上转移。如果在1807年底之前在当地土地管理局登记，闲置土地上的现有寮屋居民可以声称拥有320英亩的“遗嘱承租人”。他们还同意在政府将土地处置给其他人时给予“安静占有”或放弃土地。

That any person or persons who, before the passing of this act, had taken possession of, occupied, or made a settlement on any lands ceded or secured to the United States...and who at the time of passing this act does or do actually inhabit and reside on such lands, may, at any time prior to the first day of January next, apply to the proper register or recorder...such applicant or applicants to remin on such tract or tracts of land, not exceeding three hundred and twenty acres for each applicant, as tenants at will, on such terms and conditions as shall prevent any waste or damages on such lands...

1813年2月5日：1813年2月5日的《伊利诺伊州优先购买权法案》授予伊利诺伊州所有实际定居者优先购买权。这是国会颁布的第一部法律，将全面优先购买权转让给特定地区的所有寮屋居民，而不仅仅是某些类别的索赔人，采取了不寻常的步骤，违背了众议院公共土地委员会的建议，该公司强烈反对授予全面优先购买权，理由是这样做会鼓励未来的擅自占用。1

That every person, or legal representative of every person, who has actually inhabited and cultivated a tract of land lying in either of the districts established for the sale of public lands, in the Illinois territory, which tract is not rightfully claimed by any other person and who shall not have removed from said territory; every such person and his legal representatives shall be entitled to a preference in becoming the purchaser from the United States of such tract of land at private sale...

1820年4月24日：1820年《土地法》，也称为《1820年销售法》，将联邦土地价格（当时适用于西北地区和密苏里州地区的土地）降至1.25英亩，最低购买面积为80英亩，首期付款仅为100美元。此外，该法案赋予了寮屋居民优先考虑这些条件的权利，如果他们对土地进行了改善，如建造房屋、围栏或磨坊，他们可以更便宜地购买土地。该法案取消了赊购的做法，即在美国赊购公共土地。

That from and after the first day of July next [1820] , all the public lands of the United States, the sale of which is, or may be authorized by law, shall when offered at public sale, to the highest bidder, be offered in half quarter sections [80 acres] ; and when offered at private sale, may be purchased, at the option of the purchaser, either in entire sections [640 acres] , half sections [320 acres] , quarter sections [160 acres] , or half quarter sections [80 acres] ...

1841年9月4日：在几项早期先占权法案之后，随着1841年先占权法案的通过，永久先占权法开始生效。该立法（见第9-10节）允许个人定居和耕种多达160英亩的土地，然后在调查或定居后的指定时间内以每英亩1.25美元的价格购买该土地。这项优先购买权法案于1891年被废除。

And be it further enacted, That from and after the passage of this act, every person being the head of a family, or widow, or single man, over the age of twenty-one years, and being a citizen of the United States, or having filed his declaration of intention to become a citizen as required by the naturalization laws, who since the first day of June A.D. eighteen hundred and forty, has made or shall hereafter make a settlement in person on the public lands...is hereby, authorized to enter with the register of the land office for the district in which such land may lie, by legal subdivisions, any number of acres not exceeding one hundred and sixty, or a quarter section of land, to include the residence of such claimant, upon paying to the United States the minimum price of such land...

1850年9月27日：1850年《捐赠土地索赔法》，也称为《捐赠土地法》，为1855年12月1日前抵达俄勒冈州（现在的俄勒冈州、爱达荷州、华盛顿州和怀俄明州部分地区）的所有白人或混血土著定居者提供免费土地，基于四年的居住和土地耕种。这项法律将320英亩土地授予18岁或以上的未婚男性公民，640英亩土地授予已婚夫妇，由他们平均分配，这是美国最早允许已婚妇女以自己的名义持有土地的法律之一。

That there shall be, and hereby is, granted to every white settler or occupant of the public lands, American half-breed Indians included, above the age of eighteen years, being a citizen of the United States....the quantity of one half section, or three hundred and twenty acres of land, if a single man, and if a married man, or if he shall become married within one year from the first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty, the quantity of one section, or six hundred and forty acres, one half to himself and the other half to his wife, to be held by her in her own right...

1855年3月3日：–1855年《赏金土地法》规定，美国退伍军人或其幸存者有权获得许可证或证书，该许可证或证书可在任何联邦土地办公室亲自赎回160英亩联邦所有的土地。这项法案扩大了福利。认股权证也可以出售或转让给另一个人，后者可以在相同条件下获得土地。该法案扩大了1847年至1854年间通过的几个较小的赏金土地法案的条件，以涵盖更多的士兵和水手，并提供更多的土地面积。

That each of the surviving commissioned and non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates, whether of regulars, volunteers, rangers, or militia, who were regularly mustered into the service of the United States, and every officer, commissioned and non-commissioned seaman, ordinary seaman, flotilla-man, marine, clerk, and landsman in the navy, in any of the wars in which this country has been engaged since seventeen hundred and ninety, and each of the survivors of the militia, or volunteers, or State troops of any State or Territory, called into military service, and regularly mustered therein, and whose services have been paid by the United States, shall be entitled to receive a certificate or warrant from the Department of the Interior for one hundred and sixty acres of land...

1862年5月20日：《宅地法》可能是美国所有土地法中最受认可的一部，由亚伯拉罕·林肯总统于1862年5月20日签署成为法律。1863年1月1日生效的《宅地法》允许任何成年男性美国公民，或从未拿起武器反对美国的有意公民，通过在160英亩未开发土地上居住五年并支付18美元的费用，获得该土地的所有权。女性户主也有资格。1868年第14条修正案授予非裔美国人公民身份后，他们就有资格成为美国公民。对所有权的具体要求包括建造房屋、进行改造以及在他们完全拥有土地之前耕种土地。或者，在土地上居住至少六个月后，宅基地所有者可以以每英亩1.25美元的价格购买土地。之前在1852年、1853年和1860年出台的几项宅地法案未能通过成为法律。

That any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who shall have filed his declaration of intention to become such, as required by the naturalization laws of the United States, and who has never borne arms against the United States Government or given aid or comfort to its enemies, shall, from and after the first January, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be entitled to enter one quarter section [160 acres] or a less quantity of unappropriated public lands...