Just as land can be taken away by a government at any time it deems right, land can also be granted with the same vested power. Throughout history, people have received land grants in return for performing a variety of different services to “the state,” which can be any government that holds authority over a particular area. From as far back as the Roman empire, the granting of land was a privilege bestowed on successful soldiers whose countries wanted to allow them a comfortable retirement. One day you’re marching across Europe slaying barbarians, and the next day you’re planting and harvesting lentils; that does seem a reasonable transition, doesn’t it?

Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the countries of Europe granted land all over the place. At one point in the late 18th century, the newly released convicts in the colony of New South Wales were granted abundant amounts of land. One of the largest land grants in recorded history was made in 1670 by King Charles II of England. Known as Rupert’s Land, this gargantuan parcel surrounding the Hudson Bay was more than one third the size of modern day Canada. Keep in mind that there have been many monarchs throughout history who have ruled over (and had their hands full with) much tinier kingdoms than that. In the United States, the general rule of land granting was that a soldier would receive a grant of land as his sole pension. The idea of a homeless, penniless soldier is tragic, indeed.

In Ireland and the United States at least, the concept generally revolved around ensuring that the person the grant was issued to improved the land, cultivating at least a certain percentage of its area and building their home steads on it. Whether this was for the improvement of a nation or merely to keep the people occupied with peaceful pursuits is open to the debates of historians. But unfortunately, since the populations all over the world have exploded, the 20th century saw the death of most large scale land grants. Don’t you wish someone would give you Canada?