Persuasive Essay On National Park

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Lily Crager Rough Draft “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. America! America!” (Star Spangled Banner) America is defined not only by its people, but also by its landscape. Its stars and stripes are made up of every mountain and stream that is contained in our national parks; they are the foundation under our feet. National parks are known as one of the greatest American ideas because they conserve American history and the legacy of our ancestors, preserve our nations natural beauty, and create an authentic American experience. The nature within the national parks has been around forever, but the history of our parks started with an idea put into action by President Theodore Roosevelt. During the Progressive Era, a period in time at the turn of the 19th century motivated by the need for social improvements, John Muir thought of the idea of the national park system. John Muir started with rough beginnings and by the time he was thirty years old he still hadn’t found his place in the world. In fear of being drafted in the Civil War, he fled to Canada and by the time he returned the American industry was completely different. He noticed the growth of industrialization and urbanized cities and it scared him. John decided to set out on an expedition in which he found his passion for nature. (Duncan, Dayton 16) “We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us… I am captive. I am bound. Love of pure unblemished Nature seems to overmaster and blur out of sight all other objects and considerations.” (Duncan, Dayton 17) From then on, he lived in the wild and built cabins and ... ... middle of paper ... ...t is superior to even the idea of Wall Street. When people visit national parks they develop a deeper meaning of what it is to be American because of the experience they have. Nowhere else can people for all background come together and enjoy the beauty, history and activities that national parks offer. “America’s national parks spring from an idea as radical as the Declaration of Independence: that the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places should be preserved, not for loyalty or the rich, but for everyones.” (Duncan, Dayton Title Page) From the thought of equality of all races to drive thru restaurants, America is a nation constructed by ideas and among the top is the idea of our national parks. National parks are one of the greatest ideas because they are the scripture of nature and teach visitors about history while preserving our treasured landscapes.

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