Natural Museums by Kathy S. Mason - 9780870137112

Natural MuseumsU.S. National Parks, 1872-1916\nAuthor(s): Kathy S. Mason\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Michigan State University Press, United States\nImprint: Michigan State University Press\nISBN-13: 9780870137112, 978-0870137112\nSynopsis\nIn 1872, the worlds first national park was founded at Yellowstone. Although ideas of nature conservation were not embraced generally by the American public, five more parks were created before the turn of the century. By 1916, the year that the National Park Service was born, the country could boast of fourteen national parks, including such celebrated areas as Yosemite and Sequoia. Kathy Mason demonstrates that Congress, park superintendents, and the American public were forming general, often tacit notions of the parks purpose before the new bureau was established. \n Although the Park Service recently has placed some emphasis on protecting samples of North Americas ecosystems, the earliest national parks were viewed as natural museumsmonume.