To Look Forward With Unbounded Hope
Born in a two-room cottage, Herbert Hoover could have been any small town boy. Orphaned at age nine, he left West Branch, never to live here again. The landscape and buildings of the early years remain, however, to tell how family, faith, education, and hard work opened a world of opportunity—even the presidency of the United States—to a child of simple beginnings.
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt "All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the Hudson River" -- FDR
This quote captures FDR's connection to Springwood, the estate that he loved &the place he considered home. The first US Presidential Library was started by FDR here. Visit the Home of FDR and Presidential Library &Museum to learn about the only President elected to four terms.
Hopewell Furnace, Pennsylvania
How American Industrialization Began.
Hopewell Furnace showcases an early American industrial landscape from natural resource extraction to enlightened conservation. Operating from 1771-1883, Hopewell and other "iron plantations" laid the foundation for the transformation of the United States into an industrial giant. The park's 848 acres and historic structures illustrate the business, technology and lifestyle of our growing nation.
Sheep, Coffee, Rugs and Turquoise
The squeaky wooden floor greets your entry into the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. When your eyes adjust to the dim light in the "bullpen" you find you've just entered a mercantile. Hubbell's has been serving Ganado selling groceries, grain, hardware, horse tack, coffee and Native American Art since 1878.
What's a Porch For?
A front porch can serve many purposes. For some, a place to enjoy the breeze on a warm summer night. For others, a perch from which to keep eyes on what's happening in their neighborhood. In 1880, James Garfield used his front porch as a platform to greet thousands of well-wishers during his presidential campaign. Today, the porch serves as a gateway to the story of the Garfield family.
A Rural Beginning
Few U.S. Presidents have had such close ties with where they were born and raised. The rural southern culture of Plains, Georgia, that revolves around farming, church and school, had a large influence in molding the character and in shaping the political policies of the 39th President of the United States.
A Mother Remembers
In 1966, Rose Kennedy, the President's mother returned to her family's first home and birthplace of John F. Kennedy with the intention of sharing the values and expectations she believed defined her children's early years. Today, visitors travel back in time through Mrs. Kennedy's memories to understand the Kennedy family's early years and how she helped Americans memorialize John Kennedy.
Fruit Rancher, Family Man, Writer...Father of the National Park Service!
John Muir played many roles in his life, all of which helped him succeed in his role as an advocate for Nature. As America's most famous naturalist and conservationist, Muir fought to protect the wild places he loved, places we can still visit today. Muir's writings convinced the U.S. government to protect Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier as national parks.
Explore the lives of the Northern Plains Indians on the Upper Missouri
Earthlodge people hunted bison and other game, but were in essence farmers living in villages along the Missouri and its tributaries. The site was a major Native American trade center for hundreds of years prior to becoming an important market place for fur traders after 1750.
Husband, father and President Abraham Lincoln believed in the ideal that everyone in America should have the opportunity to improve his/her economic and social condition. Lincoln's life was the embodiment of that idea. We know him as the sixteenth president but he was also a spouse, parent, and neighbor who experienced the same hopes, dreams, and challenges of life that are still experienced by many people.
The 1957 Desegregation Crisis at Central High School Little Rock Central High School is recognized for the role it played in the desegregation of public schools in the United States. The nine African-American students' persistence in attending the formerly all-white Central High School was the most prominent national example of the implementation of the May 17, 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education.
Where American Character And Culture Were Shaped Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site preserves the home of Henry W. Longfellow, one of the world's foremost 19th century poets. The house also served as headquarters for General George Washington during the Siege of Boston, July 1775 - April 1776. In addition to its rich history, the site offers unique opportunities to explore 19th century literature and arts.
Determined Spirit Maggie Walker devoted her life to civil rights advancement, economic empowerment, and educational opportunities for Jim Crow-era African Americans and women. As a bank president, newspaper editor, and fraternal leader, Walker served as an inspiration of pride and progress. Today, Walker's home is preserved as a tribute to her enduring legacy of vision, courage, and determination.
One Camp, Ten Thousand Lives;One Camp, Ten Thousand Stories In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II.
A Great Leader is Born A young boy grows up in a time of segregation…A dreamer is moved by destiny into leadership of the modern civil rights movement…This was Martin Luther King, Jr. Come hear his story, visit the home of his birth, and where he played as a child. Walk in his footsteps, and hear his voice in the church where he moved hearts and minds. Marvel at how he was an instrument for social change.
"...plain republicans of the north and planters of the south."
Politics before the Civil War was a whirlwind of opposing interest groups. Martin Van Buren was able to unite those groups becoming president in 1837. As frustration and violence over the extension of slavery grew in the 1840's, Van Buren ran for the presidency twice more from this house. He hoped to unite sectional interests but failed;ultimately so did the union.
Mary McLeod Bethune's Legacy
Mary McLeod Bethune achieved her greatest recognition at the Washington, DC townhouse that is now this National Historic Site. The Council House was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was Bethune's last home in Washington, DC. From here, Bethune and the NCNW spearheaded strategies and developed programs that advanced the interests of African American women.
Lessons in History
The Pearl Harbor attack intensified existing hostility towards Japanese Americans. As wartime hysteria mounted, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 forcing over 120,000 West Coast persons of Japanese ancestry (Nikkei) to leave their homes, jobs, and lives behind and move to one of ten Relocation Centers. This single largest forced relocation in U.S. history is Minidoka's story.
Deterring War, Preserving Peace
The Cold War was the defining historical era of the last half of the 20th century. It led to fear, panic, and distrust symbolized by a nuclear arms race between the United States and Soviet Union. The Minuteman Missile was an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. It held the power to destroy civilization, but acted as a nuclear deterrent which maintained peace and prevented war.
"Go to Kansas"
Formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky in organized colonies at the end of the of post-Civil War Reconstruction period to experience freedom in the "promised land" of Kansas. Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the westward expansion and settlement of the Great Plains. It is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
Walk Where Battles Were Fought and Heroes Were Forged Here settlers struggled against the harsh backcountry to survive. Cherokee Indians hunted and fought to keep their land, two towns and a trading post were formed and abandoned to the elements. Two Revolutionary War battles that claimed over 100 lives took place at this location.
America's Main Street A street unlike any other. It is known the world over as the heart of the Nation's Capital. America's history has marched, paraded, promenaded, and protested its way along the Avenue.
"I still believe in a place called Hope."
President Clinton On August 19, 1946, Virginia Blythe gave birth to her son, William Jefferson Blythe, III. Named for his father who died before he was born, he grew up to become William Jefferson Clinton - the 42nd president of the United States. In this house, he learned many of the early lessons that defined his life and his presidency.
Endless is the good that I have given you to enjoy."--Kamehameha I
How many places in America can you walk in the footsteps of a king? Where else has a stranded sailor risen up to become a great chief over an entire island? Where else can you experience the culminating event of a people, foretold from centuries past? And where else can you stand on a beach and watch as sharks pass over a submerged temple? Experience all this &much more only at Pu`ukohola Heiau!
The Summer White House
Sagamore Hill was the home of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, from 1885 until his death in 1919. During Roosevelt's time in office, his "Summer White House" was the focus of international attention. Explore the natural surroundings and become inspired by the legacy of one of America's most popular presidents.
Step into the world of one of America's greatest artists
Discover the home, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America's greatest sculptors. See over 100 of his artworks in the galleries and on the grounds, from heroic public monuments to expressive portrait reliefs, and the gold coins which changed the look of American coinage. Enjoy summer concerts, explore nature trails, or indulge your hidden talents during a sculpture class.
A church that preserves an important chapter in our nation's history.
Saint Paul's Church helps to tell the story of the development of colonial society and the road to the American Revolution. It consists of an 18th-century church that was used as a Revolutionary War hospital, a historic cemetery with burial stones dating to 1704 and the remnant of a Village Green that was the site of the Election of 1733 which raised issues of Freedom of Religion and Press.
"To the Farthest Ports of the Rich East"
When the United States was young, ships from Salem, Massachusetts helped to build the new nation's economy by carrying cargo back and forth from the West to Asia. The historic buildings, wharves, and reconstructed tall ship at this nine-acre National Park tell the stories of the sailors, Revolutionary War privateers, and merchants who brought the riches of the world to America.
The San Juan National Historic Site (World Heritage Site) is comprised of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristobal, most of the city walls, the San Juan Gate and Fort San Juan de la Cruz just across the entrance to the bay. The Spanish spent over 250 years fortifying the prized location of Puerto Rico, since through it, Spain controlled all access in and out of the Caribbean.
The Sand Creek Massacre - 8 Hours that changed the Great Plains forever
The Sand Creek Massacre: profound, symbolic, spiritual, controversial, a site unlike any other in America. As 675 cavalrymen came around a prairie bend, the camps of Chiefs Black Kettle, White Antelope, and Left Hand lay in the valley before them. Chaotic, horrific, tumultuous, and bloody, the events of November 29, 1864 changed the course of history.
Explore the birthplace of the American iron and steel industry.
In the 1600's, on the banks of the Saugus River, something extraordinary happened. Explore the place where European iron makers brought their special skills to a young Massachusetts colony. This nine-acre National Park includes working waterwheels, hot forges, mills, an historic 17th century home and a lush river basin.
Forging Arms for the Nation
For nearly two centuries, the US Armed Forces and American industry looked to Springfield Armory for innovative engineering and superior firearms. Springfield Armory National Historic Site commemorates the critical role of the nation's first armory by preserving and interpreting the world's largest historic US military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings, and landscapes.
Steam locomotives excited the senses and Steamtown works to keep their stories alive!
You'd feel heat from the firebox, smell hot steam and oil;you'd hear the whistle, feel the ground vibrate, and watch as one-ton drive rods turned steel wheels. Remember the sound of "chuff-chuff" from the smokestack? Today, you can learn the history of steam railroad transportation, and the people who built, repaired and rode, as we work to preserve a special era in America's industrial history!
The Childhood of a Renowned President Only one U.S. president was born in New York City.
Raised in a townhouse at 28 E. 20th St., Theodore Roosevelt would grow up to be our 26th President and become immortalized on Mount Rushmore. However, he started life as a sickly yet bright boy who exercised to improve his health and began a lifelong passion for the "strenuous life."
An Unexpected Inauguration that Changed the Nation
As president, Theodore Roosevelt created protections for ordinary citizens, began regulation of big business, and made the US a major force in international affairs. Yet one of the most important presidencies in America's history nearly didn't happen. See the place where a brief, emotional, and improvised ceremony in Buffalo, NY brought TR into office, and forever altered the nation.
A Moderate Revolutionary
Prior to the Revolutionary War, Thomas Stone led a very comfortable life as a planter and lawyer. After realizing war with Great Britain was inevitable, he risked everything he held dear-- life, fortune, and sacred honor-- to safeguard American rights. To that end, Thomas Stone became one of 56 men to sign one of the most important documents in World History;the Declaration of Independence.
Before Their Tails Were "Red"
Before the first African American military pilots became known as the "Red Tails" they wore striped tails as they began their flight training in the Army's PT-17 Stearman bi-plane. Their flying adventure started at Moton Field, in Tuskegee, Alabama, where the Army Air Corps began a military "experiment" to see if Negroes could be trained to fly combat aircraft. Come--share their adventure!!
Bricks and Peanuts
In 1881, Booker T. Washington arrived in Alabama and started building Tuskegee Institute both in reputation and literally brick by brick. He recruited the best and the brightest to come and teach here including George Washington Carver who arrived in 1896. Carver's innovations in agriculture, especially with peanuts, expanded Tuskegee's standing throughout the country. The story continues….
A Place Called Home Ulysses S. Grant is known as the victorious Civil War general who saved the Union and the 18th President of the United States. He first met Julia Dent, his future wife, at her family home, named White Haven. From 1854 to 1859 the Dents, Grants and an enslaved African-American workforce lived on the property.
Vanderbilt Mansion Vanderbilt Mansion NHS, in terms of architecture, interiors, mechanical systems, road systems and landscape, is a remarkably complete example of a gilded-age country place, illustrating the political, economic, social, cultural, and demographic changes that occurred as America industrialized in the years after the Civil War.
The morning was still and bitter cold when cultures clashed. . . .
The site protects and interprets the setting along the Washita River where Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack against the Southern Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle on November 27, 1868. The attack was an important event in the tragic clash of cultures of the Indian Wars era.
Legacy of a Landscape
Designed and preserved by artists, Weir Farm National Historic Site welcomes everyone to experience the power of creativity, art, and nature. Escape to the only national park dedicated to American painting and rediscover the beauty of light and color in everyday life.
Retribution or Revenge?
The 1847 attack on the Whitmans horrified Americans and impacted the lives of the peoples of the Columbia Plateau for decades afterwards. Was killing the Whitmans justified legal retribution, an act of revenge, or some combination of both? The circumstances that surround this tragic event resonate with modern issues of cultural interaction and differing perspectives.
Growing Into Public Service
High atop one of Cincinnati's most prominent hilltops stands the two-story Greek Revival house where William Howard Taft was born and grew up. Hard work, a good education, and an interest in civic duty are attributes that made the Taft family outstanding leaders over the years. The environment that shaped Taft's character and philosophy is highlighted on a visit to the site.
International Historic Sites
The Beginning of a Permanent European Presence in Northern North America
The winter of 1604-1605 on Saint Croix Island was a cruel one for Pierre Dugua's French expedition. Iced in by freezing temperatures and cut off from fresh water and game, 35 of 79 men died. As spring arrived and native people traded game for bread, the health of those remaining improved. Although the expedition moved on by summer, the beginning of French presence in North America had begun.
Last updated: September 21, 2022