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That lie Is a luxury of historical ignorance!
by Gregory Thayer
A fashionable slogan has taken hold among young leftists and academic activists: “The United States is stolen land.” It is chanted as if it were self-evident truth—morally righteous, historically settled, beyond debate. It is none of those things. It is a slogan born not of history, law, or realism, but of grievance politics and selective amnesia.
The United States of America was not “stolen” in any meaningful historical or legal sense. It was conquered, settled, negotiated, and purchased—exactly the way every nation on Earth came into being.
History is not a children’s morality tale. It is a record of power, conflict, negotiation, and survival.
After 1776, the United States became a sovereign nation through war against the British Empire. From that point forward, it expanded its territory through international treaties, land purchases, wars with other sovereign states, and agreements with Native tribes. The Louisiana Purchase was bought from France. Florida from Spain. Alaska from Russia. The Southwest came after a war with Mexico. These were recognized, legal transfers of territory under the norms of international law of the time—and those borders remain recognized today.
That alone should end the conversation. But activists insist on collapsing centuries of complex history into a single accusatory word: stolen.
Native American tribes were not ignored or erased by the early United States. On the contrary, they were recognized as political entities. The U.S. government signed hundreds of treaties with tribes—because only nations sign treaties. These agreements involved land cessions in exchange for money, supplies, protection, and reserved territory. Yes, some treaties were violated. Yes, removals were often harsh and unjust by modern standards. That is true. But wrongdoing does not retroactively transform a nation into an illegitimate thief. If it did, then no country on Earth survives scrutiny.
England sits on land conquered from Celts, Romans, Saxons, and Vikings. France absorbed dozens of independent regions by force. Spain conquered Iberia from Muslims who had conquered it from Christians who had conquered it from Romans. China absorbed Tibet and Xinjiang. Turkey occupies the core territory of the Byzantine Empire. Arab empires conquered from North Africa to Persia. Are all these countries “stolen land”? If so, then international borders are meaningless, sovereignty is fiction, and the modern world must be dismantled.
No serious person believes that.
What makes the United States unique—ironically ignored by its loudest critics—is that it is the only major power in history that continues to recognize conquered peoples as sovereign nations within its borders. Native American tribes today control over 56 million acres of land, held in trust and legally protected. They operate their own governments, courts, police, and schools. They receive ongoing federal obligations—healthcare through the Indian Health Service, education funding, housing assistance, and economic development support—rooted in treaty commitments.
No other conquered population in world history received permanent, legally protected land and continuing federal responsibility.
The claim that America “gave nothing” to Native Americans is false. Food, supplies, tools, and yes, even firearms were provided or traded throughout the 18th and 19th centuries—often as part of treaty obligations. Today, Native Americans are U.S. citizens with full constitutional rights, while also retaining tribal citizenship. That dual status is historically unprecedented.
Does acknowledging this mean pretending everything was just or perfect? Of course not. History is filled with moral failure. But acknowledging failure does not require embracing fantasy.
The modern “Land Back” movement exposes the intellectual emptiness of the stolen-land claim. Which tribe gets Manhattan? The Lenape? What about the tribes they displaced? What about land legally purchased from tribes? What about Americans whose families arrived generations later? There is no coherent, non-arbitrary answer—because the demand is not about justice, but symbolism.
America is not a racial inheritance or an ethnic homeland. It is a civic nation, founded on law, citizenship, and constitutional principles. That is precisely what allows people from every background—including Native Americans—to be equal participants in its future. Reducing the United States to a moral crime scene frozen in 1600 denies the very idea of progress, reconciliation, and shared citizenship.
The “stolen land” slogan is easy to chant because it demands nothing practical and resolves nothing real. It offers moral superiority without responsibility. It ignores that history cannot be undone—only understood.
America was built the same way nations always are: through struggle, compromise, victory, and growth. It has made grave mistakes—and also unprecedented efforts to correct them. That complexity is not something to be ashamed of. It is something to be mature enough to face.
The United States is not stolen land. It is conquered, settled, purchased, and earned land, governed land, defended land—and shared land, under the rule of law. And slogans will never change that reality.
Parents and educators need to start teaching real United States history to their students, children. Let’s teach the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and law & order to all the students.
Greg Thayer is a Rutland resident and former candidate for lieutenant governor.
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Categories: Opinion
I heartily agree Greg that we need to teach our young people about our founding documents: The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
In past years our local Lions Club has held band concerts of patriotic music for our Independence Day celebration in Strafford, which included honoring veterans and the reading of the Declaration of Independence by school children of our town.
I am already working on a similar event this year in the Strafford Town House on this 250 anniversary year of our declaring our Independence. A wonderful opportunity for all of us, young and old, to renew our commitment to the ideals underpinning our nation.
history is an illusion to liberal progressives, everyone suffered, fact!
Well said!
If these people are uncomfortable living on conquered land, or on land that was acquired by means that were in their opinion otherwise unacceptable, maybe they should be the first to volunteer to colonize the moon ?
Consider a close situation of land stealing, the state of Vermont. People purchased their lands and recorded in deeds and on file in the various towns. People have lived, improved, spent labor and money. They are taxed.
1. Owners are taxed by the state as many times as the state desires
2. The State can increase land values to obtain more money.
3. Listers that value properties are required by their Handbook (issued by the State) to access properties based on FAIR MARKET VALUE but don’t It’s what they “feel” a property is worth. I have seen where a property was sold and the accessed value was far greater than the FMV. Bruce Parker of the old True North Reports wrote two articles about my plight of unfairness and grieved the process three times to get some kind of FMV. The articles may still be on the Net. Traveled 1340 miles around the state to get FMV.
4. Listers violate a Court Order Ames v Town of Danby 1978 wherein the Judge said people can get FMV anywhere in the state. I did. Visited the town clerks for the records.
5. Enter the Delinquent Tax Collector. That’s another whole corrupted town “elected official” They have a Handbook issued by the State, however I have seen they (individually noted) modify the State’s Handbook to suit their own self interests for the collection process. They have time lines, but don’t adhere to them. And I suspect if a property is to be auctioned,t they may notify friends-family of the sale to obtain. It’s crooked.
6. The State of Michigan has one Lister for each county, and must relate to FMV establishing true values. In Vermont there must be at a minimum three listers for each town. VT has 251 towns, basically there are 753 Listers servicing the “system”.
7. There are special money grabbing groups that indoctrinate Legislator minds to increase there take of taxes such as the Education Dept, NEA, Benefit packages (medical, retirement, etc). Education revenues are 80% of taxes collected. Vermont is far out of wack regarding this relative to other states and money doesn’t improve a student’s intelligence / knowledge in preparation for world survival.
8. The state Tax Dept holds new indoctrination sessions to elected Listers informing them to access property vales at any price, If the “owner” doesn’t grieve, then the town has “FREE MONEY. The process is a road block to discourage the “Owner”. I have seen old time owners get very mad and would like to “school” the BCA (Board of Civil Authority), a total farce. The BCA “inspectors” don’t have to look at the property to value it. For instance, my “deer camp” didn’t have electricity, in a remote area. The BCA “inspectors” said it was electrified. The State Appraiser said it wasn’t.
9. Taxation has “legally” transferred the lands to the towns and state.
10. If taxes cannot be paid by some evil happenings to the “Owner” then the town can sell the property from under their feet and they have to survive by other means.
11. All Improvements by the “owner” belongs to the town & State without any remuneration
12. At one time or another all “private properties” will be sold / transferred.
13. There is a means, long established and lawyers to accomplish, wherein when the papers are signed, you own the land outright, no one can enter nor be taxed. I’ve done homework with advise from another.
Back to the article, that well defines the United States purchasing lands from countries that is now America. It wasn’t “stolen” as idiots relate to. It was earned. It illustrates the Liberal empty headed mindset, the product of the educational system. And millions have fought and died to protect it. I was involved in the Cold War 1958-1962 with loaded B-52’s Little recognition of military history and the Founding Fathers. Get real Libs..
As explained, America owns and maintains the lands. The song “America the Beautiful” resonates by many some nobles Ray Charles, Elvis Prestley, Whitney Houston etc Kate Smith’s God Bless America and along with the National Anthem. In Vermont, the state and towns own the properties and don’t maintain them. People have allowed this, it was transformed about the Phil Hoff Governor time and downhill since. People stay in the state due to generations and appreciate the state, being what it was upon a time. Now it’s a struggle to stay or leave to own lands elsewhere and feel like a human again belonging to America. People have rights, protect them, do your homework and get people in Government that respect people and not practice liberty violations. Born raised and fought for VT, have memories, but survival is more important, won’t support the “system”
WOW! Thanks for this very informative article, although I am not happy about some of the information. I have been primarily concerned about my (now) Town “Officials”, but I had not been aware of the extent of the State control. I must say that my family farm has been fairly assessed by the Listers over the years, but I am very concerned about the assessments currently be done by the State. In my situation FMV may affect me significantly. The other part of my situation is my concerns about the agenda of certain groups to take over small farms in Vt. I became sole owner of my farm about 20 years ago, and I have had to deal with such issues almost the entire time.
I welcome any thoughts about my situation.
you are forgetting Canada and what they have done for agreements with their native people
Excellent piece, Greg.
Among the participants in the “stolen land” campaign are the churches that begin their services or print in their bulletins that they are meeting on Abenaki land.” Of course, this breastbeating “mea culpa” act is not true, largely because the Abenaki never claimed to own the land in the way we understand ownership. They used some of the land as they wished, mostly for hunting and fishing, and they passed through but set up no really permanent villages.
In short, there is no reason for present landowners to feel guilty about the source of their land holdings.
Fine and dandy. Just remember this essay when we make Greenland part of the U.S. “whether they like it or not,” in the words of our president.
We did invade Iceland once
We did invade Iceland once, it was a Democrat POTUS
So that makes it alright if we do it again . . .
While this might seem inspiring, it is obvious that he has never read the Indian Relocation Act passed during Andrew Jackson’s administration in the early 19th century. This act uprooted natives from their land and communities and forced them to walk nearly a 1,000 miles to western territories. This deed is known as the “Trail of tears” allowing the government to grant deeds to their land and homes. This was all done under the guise of the good of the nation? The land of the free and home of the brave. Tell this tale to the Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, and Seminole nations. And they were relocated to land formerly owned by the Osage and others- go figure – eh?
How is it obvoius he never read the Act? “[America] has made grave mistakes—and also unprecedented efforts to correct them. That complexity is not something to be ashamed of. It is something to be mature enough to face.”. The point is “[chanting “stolen land”] ignores that history cannot be undone—only understood.”
How is it obvoius he never read the Act? “[America] has made grave mistakes—and also unprecedented efforts to correct them. That complexity is not something to be ashamed of. It is something to be mature enough to face.”. The point is “[chanting “stolen land”] ignores that history cannot be undone—only understood.”
I’m just glad Mr.Thayer exposed his way of thinking before the next election.
Excellent piece!
After they kick out the camp owners in the Silvio Conte Refuge in 2049, who will be the real owner of that large land base???? They have offered many ways to buy you out before the 2049 time frame. The camp owners are placed under more rules than other people using this area. The camp owners are liable for all of their guests and any damage they do to the refuge. The next con job will be to charge the other people that use the refuge for hunting and fishing. Comment from Richard Day with no apology.