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Essay on "The Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park 1872", HIST 21. Do not plagiarize....

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The Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park 1872 Home to more than 1,850 known prehistoric and historic Native American and historic European American archeological sites, more than 300 ethnographic resources, 25 sites, landmarks, and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, more than 900 historic buildings, and one National Historic Trail, Yellowstone National Park and its wonders cover 3,472 square miles of Northwestern United States (Cultural Resources). Although its physical address is in Wyoming, 3% of its land is in Montana as well as 1% being in Idaho. How did such a vast area of land become preserved and protected? Through exploration, growing interest of the public, passion for preservation, and signage of an act, Yellowstone became the first national park in the United States. Both created as a preserve and for human enjoyment, it provides education and relevance to today’s world. One of the first ideas of land preservation was proposed by painter and explorer George Catlin. He believed Western prairies should be preserved as “a nation’s park” in 1832, the same year Congress decided to protect Hot Springs, Arkansas, as a public reservation. Then in 1864, a Congressional grant for Yosemite of California had set an important legislative model for further preservation of land (Evolution of Conservation). According to ourdocuments.gov, the first step towards preservation was the United States Government made the nation aware of its western lands. The Civil War resolved the question of survival of the Union, so the national government’s attention turned toward the settlement of the continent’s western territory. The United States Army was the first to explore the land, followed by civilian explorers including Clarence King, John Wesley Powell, and Ferdinand Hayden. Hayden surveyed the area in 1871 and created a campaign when he returned to the East to promote and protect the natural wonders he had seen in the West. He first wrote an article for Scribner’s Monthly that included illustrations from his

fellow expedition member, Thomas Moran. He then provided Charles Bierstadt, brother to the artist and leading manufacturer of stereographic cards, with copies of expedition photographs taken by William Jackson. Afterwards, he proceeded to capture the attention of Congress by presenting them with an album of photographs of Yellowstone. His multiple efforts were supported by Jay Cooke, railroad tycoon who anticipated increased tourism and customers on his lines serving the Yellowstone area. This initiated a growing, wide public interest reflecting the transformation of American attitude towards the west. To some, it became “America’s wonderland”. Historian William Goetzmann suggested this “cult of Naturalism’ was an extension of the Romantic worldview, “where the individual sought out unspoiled wilderness to experience nature’s power first hand.”, leading to the protection of Yellowstone National Park (ourdocuments.gov). Because of these combined efforts and the public’s growing interest, authority acted. On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the act into law, which was, “An act to set apart a certain tract of land lying near the head-waters of the Yellowstone River as a public park” (Primary Documents). Yosemite had become a state park before Yellowstone became a national park and had a strong influence on the founding of Yellowstone. Congress used language in the state park act as a model for national parks (Frequently Asked). According to The Library of Congress, Yellowstone became the first national park and was designated “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,” with “all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders” within it to be retained “in their natural condition”. Overall, success of this measure in Congress was due to recognition of the area’s great commercial potential as a focus for tourism as well as its abundance of exploitable natural resources. Implementation of the national park idea in this act is considered a conservation milestone of global significance (Evolution of Conservation).

According to the National Parks Service, Yellowstone’s mission today includes preserving and interpreting evidence of past human activity through archeology and historic preservation. It serves as an important teaching tool to educate the public of features that are critical to how a group of people identifies itself as well as places associated with significant events, activities, persons, and groups of people providing a sense of place and identity (Cultural Resources). There are often debates about ripping apart protected, preserved land such as Yellowstone, other preservations, and Native American reservations for various advancements. These advancements include pipelines, mines, logging, deforestation, scientific development, etc., which all require destruction of the earth. Some current debates include the Dakota Access Pipeline on sacred reservation land, the Amazon rainforest fires as an act of deforestation, and Hawaii’s Mauna Kea being taken over for scientific advancements on more sacred land. It appears these advancements are being made regardless of the harm it can do to ethnographic resources that are important to a people’s sense of purpose or way of life and the earth in general. I chose to research on Yellowstone National Park not only because of its importance to educate people of the nation’s history, but of its preserved natural wonders that serve as a reminder to appreciate, protect, and preserve the earth. We only have one earth, and we lose more and more of its land every day. According to conservation.org, tropical forests are being destroyed at an approximate rate of 31,000 square miles each year, nearly half of the world’s rainforests have been lost since the 1960s, about 36 football fields’ worth of trees are lost every minute from deforestation, and so on (conservation.org). I am hoping us humans can come together as one and be more aware of our actions, for we are hurting the earth and those with sacred, protected land. National parks serve as a reminder of how the earth should be taken care of and hopefully

help people who learn about its history and visit them to grow an appreciation for the earth overall.

Works Cited “Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park (1872).” Our Documents - Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park (1872), www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=45. “Deforestation: 11 Facts You Need to Know.” Deforestation - 11 Facts You Need to Know, www.conservation.org/stories/11-deforestation-facts-you-need-to-know. “The Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920.” American Memory: Remaining Collections, memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem%2Fconsrvbib%3A%40field%28NU MBER%2B%40band%28amrvl%2Bvl002%29%29. “Frequently Asked Questions: History.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/history-faqs.htm. “Preserving Cultural Resources.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/preserving-cultural-resources.htm. “Primary Documents in American History.” Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park: Primary Documents in American History (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress), 26 Apr. 2017, www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/yellowstone.html....