LE3 .A278 2012

2012

Duke, David

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

History

History & Classics

This thesis examines the development of the National Parks in the United States, and uses Yellowstone National Park as a major case study for studying park development. It is organized chronically and focuses on the development of park management and policy from the foundation of Yellowstone in 1872 until 1940. The first chapter is a historiographical analysis of the philosophical thought that led to the creation of the National Parks and the more modern historical writings about the period. The second chapter focuses on the reasons for the creation of the National Parks and the initial problems that came about as a result of the manner in which the parks were set up. The time frame for the second chapter is the founding of Yellowstone through the turn of the century. The third chapter focuses from the turn of the century through the beginning of World War II. Beginning with a discussion of the changes that were made in park management and policy as a result of the problems created during the initial period, the chapter leads into a second set of problems that occurred as a result of the changes. In conclusion, the challenges facing the National Park Service in the early twentieth century are similar to the problems facing it in the twenty-first century. These challenges stem from the creation of the park, which prioritized recreation, but also included an element of ecological protection.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:860