Existing comment:
National Monuments
Number of Parks: 81 (as of 2015)
First Park: Devil's Tower National Monument | 1906
Newest Park: Waco Mammoth National Monument | 2015
Congress expanded the idea and role of national parks with the 1906 Antiquities Act, which originally protected geological formations and paleontological sites as well as manmade structures such as cliff dwellings and other ruins. Later, the Act was extended to places related to early explorations, European settlement, and fortifications. These cultural or natural features are known as National Monuments. A number of the National Monuments are icons of the shared American experience, such as the Statue of Liberty, Fort McHenry, and Pearl Harbor. More recently, emphasis has been placed on designating new monuments that recognize America's diversity, including sites related to Black, Hispanic, and women's history. |