How Big Government Won the West by Stephen J. Rockwell

This short essay argues that big government begins in Americas earliest days-- despite our founding myth of small government and limited federal activity. The essay addresses the federal governments indispensable role in land acquisition, its regulation of the fur trade, and its role in managing defense, trade, and social policies. Complementing a wave of new scholarship, How Big Government Won the West offers a brief and compelling look at governance in the republics first century.