The national park system in the United States represents one of the world’s great achievements in the protection of wildlife, scenic wonders, and historic and cultural sites. The course will highlight major milestones in the history of the national park system and the ways that people have interacted with the parks by way of recreation, tourism, photography, wildlife observation, and creating personal and family memories.

We will pay particular attention to movers and shakers in the history of the national park system such as John Muir, Stephen Mather, and activists including Minerva Hoyt, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, Mardy and Olaus Murie, and John and Frank Craighead.

The park system also embraces hundreds of historic sites where visitors have a close-up view of the major events, themes, and individuals shaping the American past. At a time when history scholarship and historical interpretation are under immense pressure to adhere to present political agendas, National Park Service historic sites are important places where the public learns about stories, peoples, and events which have shaped the past.

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.