The Role of the United States in the World Community Featured Places

Parks

Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we safeguard these more than 400 places and share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. Find a few of those stories here and then Find a Park to find more of all Americans' stories.

The Statue of Liberty's meanings have continually changed since her dedication on October 28, 1886. During the late 19th century, one of the largest periods of immigration in American history, Liberty stood as a "Mother of Exiles," and provided thousands of immigrants with their first visual representation of America, liberty, and freedom. Throughout the 19th century, political instability, religious persecution, unstable economies, and vast unemployment prompted many Europeans to leave their homelands to take their chances on a better life in the United States. On the final stretch of their journey, as immigrants made their way into New York Harbor to the immigration station on Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty served as a colossal symbol of freedom and opportunity for all newcomers to the United States.

World War II. National parks tell the stories of America's WWII experience - from Pearl Harbor to the war's atomic end. Discover how a resilient America mobilized its people (and parks!) to triumph over tyranny. Explore places where technological and social barriers collapsed. Confront the war's darker legacies where America incarcerated its citizens and developed nuclear weapons. Stand atop soils where American blood was shed, coastlines defended, wounds were healed and valor was memorialized forever.

A Peace Park: Chamizal National Memorial in Texas is more than just an urban park to recreate or enjoy a quiet afternoon. These park grounds stand for peace;the peaceful settlement of a 100-year border dispute between nations. Not one shot was fired;not one war was waged. The memorial celebrates the culture of the borderland that helped to peacefully navigate an international argument.

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, Ohio. Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial was established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812, and to celebrate the long-lasting peace among Britain, Canada and the U.S. The Memorial, a Doric column, rising 352 feet over Lake Erie is situated 5 miles from the longest undefended border in the world.

San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington. San Juan Island is well known for splendid vistas, saltwater shore, quiet woodlands, orca whales and one of the last remaining native prairies in the Puget Sound/Northern Straits region. But it was also here in 1859 that the United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over possession of the island, the crisis ignited by the death of a pig.

Other Places

The National Park Service cares for America's more than 400 national parks…and works in almost every one of her 3,141 counties. We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun. Find a few selected important places outside the parks here and explore the links for more. Then explore what you can do to share your own stories and the places that matter to you.

Spanish Colonial Missions of the Southwest: The stories and legacies of the Spanish Colonial missions are part of our national story and they highlight the common heritage the United States shares with Spain, Mexico and Latin America. Spain was not alone in missionary enterprises throughout the New World. French and Portuguese missionaries also made inroads in Canada, Brazil, and other parts of the Americas.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail is a bi-national trail, three-quarters of which winds through the central highlands of Mexico. El Camino Real tracks a different European settlement story of the U.S., one that emphasizes the shared history and heritage of Spain, Mexico and the American Southwest. The trail's 16th-century origins pre-date both Jamestown and Plymouth Rock, while its historic faces, places and three-century legacy as a multi-ethnic point of cultural connection and exchange offer new touchstones of American history.

World Heritage Sites in the United States: The United States is proud to preserve and protect its World Heritage Sites. World Heritage Sites are a relatively small number of places on earth that have been formally determined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee to possess "outstanding universal value" to humanity for their exceptional cultural and natural significance.

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and World Heritage Site straddles the northern Rocky Mountains along the border between the United States and Canada. The world's first "international park," the combined site encompasses breathtaking snowcapped mountains, high-altitude lakes, and rivers cascading from glaciers.