Preserving Different Pasts: The American National Monuments

by Hal K. Rothman

BRO-DART COVER, 1989 University of Illinois Press Hardcover, Hal Rothman (LBJ's Texas White "Our Heart's Home.": "Our Heart's Home"). The national monuments that exist today within our national parks are often perceived as icons of a romantic or even a mythic past Seldom, however, do very personal crusades that were waged to preserve these natural and culture resources intrude upon the public consciousness? Even less frequently are the preservation efforts of the past valued for what they tell us about American culture and how the values of that culture have changed over time. But the archaeological, historic, and natural history sites that comprise our national monuments have layered meanings. Quite apart from their intrinsic value as heritage sites, our effort to preserve perceptions of the past. It is somewhat surprising, therefore, that scholarship on the national monuments proper remained a historiographical backwater. This situation has been rectified, however, with the publication of Hal Rothman's Preserving Different The American National Monuments. These national treasurers have at last found an able historian to tell their story. -

Genres: Nonfiction

255 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1989

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is surprisingly little out there regarding the history of the national monuments - even though they consistently pop up throughout years and are highly contentious. I've been working a research project related to monuments and this book filled in a lot of the gaps in my knowledge.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in national monuments. There is also plenty of information about the NPS, War Department and Forest Service handling of monuments as well.