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BTW, when a state is admitted to the union under the provisions of a law passed by Congress there are clauses that protect federal lands ~

Which is a complete violation of the Equal Footing Doctrine.

Equal-Footing Doctrine is a principle of Constitutional law that mandates that new states be admitted to the Union as equals of the existing states, in terms of power, sovereignty, and freedom. States must be admitted on an equal footing in the sense that Congress may not exact conditions solely as a tribute for admission, but it may, in the enabling or admitting acts or subsequently impose requirements that would be or are valid and effectual if the subject of congressional legislation after admission.

How is a State equally sovereign if 90% of ITS land belongs to the national government? They are forced to police it and deal with its liabilities without compensation.

Your contention is also adverse to the very principal of a United STATES in FEDERATION. Gad what an obsessive self-interest you express!

The acceptance of federal lands as a condition of admission is an illegal contract entered into under duress. The elements of contracts that are illegal are void.

Your argument leads off into a state being created and all other land titles being extinguished. I'm sorry ~ that just doesn't happen. Not now. Not then. Not ever if we can help it.

First of all, this claim of consequence is patently and historically false, which is why so many States admitted after the Constitution was ratified and before the Civil War have very little in the way of "Federal Lands."

And just whom would be this royal "we" besides your usual load of statist crap.

The Federal government bought the land ~ it made a contract with somebody else ~ usually with a treaty.

The Treaty is the Supreme Law of the Land, Contracts are Sacred, states are erected WITHIN some territory, or even another state, land titles are always secured in the United States because we are not some Ottoman satrapy out in the Gobi, etc.

The "doctrine" you argue about is of lesser consequence than treaties, land titles, and property rights of individuals already there.

On the other hand, that means you get Senators and Representatives on an equal basis with other states. NOBODY ever said Rhode Island should also have as much land as Texas!

"We" in that case is the "We" in "We the People". You guys just want to get something for free ~ MY PROPERTY IN FACT.

Stake your claims, find the gold and silver, do something, and BUY IT FROM THE GUB'MNT.

Some of it is still for sale.

As far as Eastern States not having been affected by a federal government landgrab, Virginia lost a good 90% of its claims to the federal government ~ that's not as good as the deal Alaska got!

Then there's poor Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia ~ with SEA TO SEA CLAIMS!

You are sitting on parts of their claims that were simply TAKEN FROM THEM without another thought and handed over to your state.