States had various amounts of public land deeded to them to help pay for schools, roads and other infrastructure project.
But as far as I know not a single state had all or even most public lands not already sold to private parties while it was a territory deeded to it at statehood.
I’m not wedded to this idea. If anybody has evidence to the contrary I’d really like to see it.
The NW territories were a little unusual. As I understand it, multiple states had claims. They ceded this land to the federal government. Two states, VA and CT, reserved some of the land to pay off their veterans.
I think it’s wildly inaccurate to say the NW territories “gave” some of their land to the federal government. The NW territories, like all other territories, had no existence except as provided for by Congress.
To avoid quibbling: whatever the territory was before , that entity “gave” land to the federal government when it became a territory.
Some would be returned on statehood and some would be retained, as set out in the Enabling Acts.
Typically the feds voluntarily sold off their lands directly or passed homestead acts. Both of which resulted in a ‘transfer’ to the state.
The West’s problem today is that they don’t have the legislative clout the earlier states had to force sales or Homestead Acts; the land has not become as desirable as, for instance, that in the Northwest Territories did; and the growth of a ‘progressive’ view that the federal government is a better steward.