LGB Heritage

Johnston was the first woman to professionally photograph Mammoth Cave, she went on to photo-document life, blue collar workers and presidents alike.

World War II brought widespread attention to physical fitness and disability across the US. As part of the military’s mobilization, all drafted and enlisted men had to undergo physical and psychiatric examinations to assess their fitness for war. About 19 million American men were drafted, but nearly half of them didn’t make the cut. Explore some of the reasons behind the draft’s rejection rate of over 40% as well as some of the factors that disqualified people from service.

During World War II, American women entered the workforce and the military in unprecedented numbers. These dramatic changes also altered the way they related to their homes, families, communities, and private lives. 

The opening lines of “America the Beautiful” first struck Katharine Lee Bates atop Pikes Peak in the Rocky Mountains. During the summer of 1893, she embarked on a journey across the United States. Originally written as a poem, many of the lines in Bates’ ode to the American landscape refer to geographical features she encountered during her travels.

Curiosity Kits inspire exploration and learning of history through place. These multi-piece resources include articles that explore historic places and provide educational activities for life-long learners. This kit focuses on Bayard Rustin, an important figure of the Civil Rights Movement. He organized some of the most iconic protests, including the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963).

In many ways, the histories of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Americans have been obscured and erased. The threat of physical harm and persecution led many to live a closeted lifestyle. Historical references to LGB contributions to American heritage are rare and in many examples, the prejudiced attitudes of the author are obvious. In recent years, scholars have focused on uncovering the history of LGB communities and expanding our understanding of American history

When Elsa Gidlow first laid eyes on the land above Muir Woods National Monument, she knew it was “the place to realize a dream.” That dream was Druid Heights, her home from the mid-1950s until her death in 1986. As a lesbian writer, poet, and philosopher she refused to conform to mainstream America’s ideas about family, love, and home. Every year she lit a Winter Solstice Fire, a ritual that connected her with women across time.

In 1953, the Eisenhower Administration entered office pledging to clean up the government. As seen with Executive Order 10450, this had devastating effects for thousands of innocent and faithful civil servants. Many LGBTQ Americans were persecuted and faced repercussions from this. Explore this story here.

The history of how many significant moments at Muir Woods were influenced by a network of influential women and LGB leaders. Learn about the conditions of the time period and how Pauli Murray, Jane Addams, Frances Perkins, and others effected change.

Catherine Cooper speaks with Bobby Fieseler about writing "Tinderbox" and the importance of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire in LGB activism as we come up to the 50th anniversary of the fire. The Up Stairs Lounge Fire was an unsolved arson fire at a gay bar in New Orleans on June 24, 1973. With 32 dead, it was the worst mass murder of homosexual Americans in 20th century America.