Public Land Surveying System Problems: History of Public Lands

Which of the following authorities supervised the first surveys of public lands?

A. the General Land Office
B. the Act of February 11, 1805
C. the Virginia Charter
D. the Land Ordinance Act

Solution:
The General Land Office was proposed by Alexander Hamilton as early as 1790, but was not actually created until 1812. The office of the Surveyor General was first mentioned in the Act of 1796; the Bureau of Land Management did not begin until 1946. The office of the Geographer of the U.S. was created in the Land Ordinance of 1785. Thomas Hutchins was the first and only person to hold the office, and he conducted the first survey of the public lands in the U.S.

The answer is D.

This is problem 2 (5-1) from the NEW third edition of “Surveying Solved Problems for the FS and PS Exams” by Jan Van Sickle, PLS (formerly "1001 Solved Surveying Fundamentals Problems"). Reprinted with permission from “Surveying Solved Problems for the FS and PS Exams” by Jan Van Sickle, PLS (2008 Professional Publications Inc.). For details on this and other FLS exam-prep books, call 800/426-1178 or visit www.ppi2pass.com