from the
social-religious to the economic conception was complete, and the
frontier was deeply influenced by the change to "land mongering."

In one respect, however, there was an increasing recognition of the
religious and social element in settling the frontier, due in part, no
doubt, to a desire to provide for the preservation of eastern ideals and
influences in the West. Provisions for reserving lands within the
granted townships for the support of an approved minister, and for
schools, appear in the seventeenth century and become a common feature
of the grants for frontier towns in the eighteenth.[61:1] This practice
with respect to the New England frontier became the foundation for the
system of grants of land from the public domain for the support of
common schools and state universities by the federal government from its
beginning, and has been profoundly influential in later Western States.

Another ground for discontent over land questions was furnished by the
system of granting lands within the town by the commoners. The principle
which in many, if not all, cases guided the proprietors in distributing
the town lots is familiar and is well stated in the Lancaster town
records (1653):

And, whereas Lotts are Now Laid out for the most part Equally
to Rich and poore, Partly to keepe the Towne from Scatering to
farr, and partly out of Charitie and Respect to men of meaner
estate, yet that Equallitie (which is the rule of God) may be
observed, we Covenant and Agree, That in a second Devition and
so through all other Devitions of Land the mater shall be
drawne as neere to _equallitie according to mens estates_ as
wee are able to doe, That he which hath now more then his
estate Deserveth in home Lotts and entervale Lotts shall haue
so much Less: and he that hath Less then his estate Deserveth
shall haue so much more.[62:1]

This peculiar doctrine of "equality" had early in the history of the
colony created discontents. Winthrop explained the principle which
governed himself and his colleagues in the case of the Boston committee
of 1634 by saying that their divisions were arranged "partly to prevent
the neglect of trades." This is a pregnant idea; it underlay much of the
later opposition of New England as a manufacturing section to the free
homestead or cheap land policy, demanded by the West and by the labor
party, in the national public domain. The migration