| Natural Resources and the impact on the economy in the regions The Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920 The Mapping the National Parks collection documents the history,
cultural aspects and geological formations of areas that eventually
became National Parks. The collection consists of approximately
200 maps dating from the 17th century to the present, reflecting
early mapping of the areas that would become four National Parks,
as well as the parks themselves. Production of this collection is
being supported by a generous gift from The Rockefeller Foundation. The collection consists of 4,500 photographs documenting natural
environments, ecologies, and plant communities in the United States
at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth
century. Produced between 1891 and 1936, these photographs provide
an overview of important representative natural landscapes across
the nation. They demonstrate the character of a wide range of American
topography, its forestation, aridity, shifting coastal dune complexes,
and watercourses. Major topics and issues illustrated include the establishment of
the Everglades National Park; the growth of the modern conservation
movement and its institutions, including the National Audubon Society;
the evolving role of women on the political stage; the treatment
of Native Americans; rights of individual citizens or private corporations
vs. the public interest; and accountability of government as trustees
of public resources, whether for the purposes of development, reclamation,
or environmental protection. The materials in this online compilation
are drawn from sixteen physical collections housed in the archives
and special collections of the University of Miami, Florida International
University and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. The Printed Ephemera collection at the Library of Congress is a
rich repository of Americana. While the broadside format represents
the bulk of the collection, there are a significant number of leaflets
and some pamphlets. Rich in variety, the collection includes proclamations,
advertisements, blank forms, programs, election tickets, catalogs,
clippings, timetables, and menus. They capture the everyday activities
of ordinary people who participated in the events of nation-building
and experienced the growth of the nation from the American Revolution
through the Industrial Revolution up to present day. National Conservation Commission Reclaiming the Everglades: South Florida's Natural History, 1884-1934
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