Analysis of Historical Sites and Parks - Report Example

This essay seeks to examine various historical sites and parks, which include Yosemite National park, Mount Rushmore, Sue Kunitomi Embrey and Manzanar National Historic Sites. Further, the essay intends to relate these tourist attraction sites and parks with their gains and historical backgrounds. As a point of departure, Yosemite national park, which is located on the eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa as well as Madera counties, and lies in the central eastern portion of the United States of America is a well k own park across the globe. It is found in the state of California. It covers an area of 747,956 acres, which is equivalent to 3,026.87 km2. Yosemite is internationally renowned for its magnificent waterfalls, Giant Sequoia groves, granite cliffs and biological diversity(Gann, 45). The National Park Service of the United States of America manages the park. The Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. tenth Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. The Battalion was formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth. The Buffalo Soldiers, like their white counterparts in the U.S. Army regiments, were among the first park backcountry rangers. The Buffalo soldiers in Yosemite built what is considered the first museum in the National Park System. The African-American troops who patrolled the wasteland of Yosemite and Sequoia national parks served a significant role in the early days of our first federally protected lands(Gann, 34). Yosemite Valley is an open year-round. Much of the remaining park is closed during late autumn because of snow. It re-opens in mid to late spring after the snow season has ended. The park operates a free shuttle bus system. The shuttle bus operates year-round in the valley. The park has over 800 miles of hiking trails. Park rangers embolden visitors to experience portions of the park in addition to Yosemite Valley (Gann, 35). In addition, the park boasts of rock climbing activities. Rock climbing has been seen as a sport and according Gann, (35), climbers generally be spotted in the snow-free months on anything from ten-foot-high boulders to the 3,300-foot face of El Capitan. On the other hand, Mount Rushmore is located in Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States. Mount Rushmore is largely composed of granite. There are some sculptures of the four United States presidents, which are found in the mountain museum, the George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt along with Abraham Lincoln. The whole memorial covers 1,278.45 acres, which is equivalent to 5.17 km2 (William A. Jr. et al, 47). Doane Robinson a South Dakota historian is accredited with envisaging the plan of carving the likenesses of eminent people into the Black Hills section of South Dakota. The pan was done in order to ratify tourism in the area. Additionally, the Danish-American born Gutzon Borglum along with his son, Lincoln Borglum, did the sculpturing. The sculptures are done on a granite rock, which is durable. The Mount Rushmore has turned out to be an iconic representation of presidential immensity. In addition, it appeared during works of fiction, and has been discussed and depicted in additional trendy works. It is imperative to note that, the mountain attracts over two million people annually who come as tourists. According to Melmer (2004), the mountain was a sacred place for numerous American Indians. This was previewed as an injustice to their lands that they have suffered under the US government. In protest to the injustices, the American Indian Movement in 1970 escalated a siege of the memorial. They occupied the ledge above the presidents’ heads for nearly a month. In 2004, Superintendent Gerard Baker an American Indian was appointed was appointed the first American Indian superintendent of Mount Rushmore. However, his appointment was not received warmly (Melmer, 87). He thought for a while before taking up the job. He even consulted with the family and his elders. When he finally sat at the helm, he saw the opportunity to educate his people. To preserve the culture and traditions of the mountain, Backer’s work was to recap visitors of the ancient and ongoing presence of American Indians in the Hills. Backer directed that the opening of a Heritage Village in the park should be frequent in order to attract more visitors. The Sioux interpreters were hired as seasonal rangers. The interpreters interfaced directly with the public. They had a responsibility of educating visitors about Sioux culture and history and about their understanding of the Black Hills. It is notable that, the addition of the interpreters in the interpretive program has imparted a more complex and complete understanding of the National Parks and the legacies they protect. In addition, the idea has brought more visitors of Indian origin to the park (Melmer, 67). On a similar note, the park offers its popular audio tour not only in European languages, but also in Lakota. Sue Kunitomi Embrey and Manzanar National Historic Site are widely known as one of ten detention facilities where over 110,000 Japanese Americans were locked up during World War II. The site is positioned in the bottom of the Sierra Nevada within Californias Owens Valley. Before March 1942, the Manzanars was home to Native Americans. The Native Americans mostly lived in communities near quite a lot of creeks in the area. However, Sue Kunitomi’s family had been assigned was Manzanar located 212 miles northeast of Los Angeles on the site of a former Spanish settlement in Inyo County. Manzanar housed a population of over 10,000 evacuees, held within a one-mile-square enclosure (Melmer, 68). In 1910, the ranchers and miners officially formed Manzanar town. The awareness camp that is surrounded by barbed wire fencing and overlooked by eight guard towers is critical in understanding one’s immediate ,milieu. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Air Force attacked the American Naval base in Pearl Harbor. Earlier, the Japanese Air Force had bombed Sue Kunitomi’s camp. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe military areas from which any or all person was to be excluded and to provide for residents of any such area who are excluded there from, such transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations as may be necessary (William A. Jr. et al, 43). Following a Supreme Court decision in December of 1944, detained Japanese Americans were free to return to their West Coast homes. Additionally, the internees had to leave on their own and those with assets of less than $600 were given one-way train or bus fare, concomitant meals, and $25.00 for expenses (William A. Jr. et al, 47). This followed the construction of the Manzanar National Historic Site to make available for the, 36 protection and interpretation of the sequential, cultural, and natural proprietorships associated with the repositioning of the Japanese Americans during World War II Works cited. McGeveran, William A. Jr. et al. (2004). The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004. New York: World Almanac Education Group, Inc. ISBN 0-88687-910-8 David Melmer ( 2004). Historic changes for Mount Rushmore. Indiancountrytoday Matsuda, Gann (April 30, 2010). "41st Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage Highlights the Unfinished Business of the Civil Rights Struggle" Read More