re: #289 iossarian

Does anyone have a short answer as to why the federal govt didn’t retain land “outside” any state during the western expansion, rather than retaining land within state borders?

I don’t know the actual reason, but doing that would lead to tension between the states that adjoin that land. Each of them would be pressuring the federal government to allow the state to be extended to cover that land.

By having the states not have any gaps, and then retain federal land within the states, there is less cause for shenanigans.