How did Adam Smith describe the role of private property in the development of civil government?

Adam Smith viewed the development of civil government as intrinsically linked to the emergence of private property. In his historical analysis, Smith observed that in the earliest "crude" stage of society—the age of hunters—there was scarce any property, and consequently, little need for established magistrates or a regular administration of justice.12

As society evolved toward more complex stages, such as the advent of flocks, the institution of private property emerged. Smith argued that this institution required an "indispensable buttress of law and order" to function. Crucially, Smith did not justify this development through natural law; instead, he recognized it as an instrument for the protection of privilege. He famously stated that civil government, insofar as it is instituted for the security of property, is in reality established for the defense of the rich against the poor, or those who possess property against those who have none at all. Thus, for Smith, the state’s legal and administrative structures were fundamentally shaped by the material requirements of protecting private ownership.12