African-American Heritage Sites (U.S. National Park Service)
Encyclopedia
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
has reflected the nations social history. Among the first African-Americans to influnce the course of the National Parks were:
- Early Superintendents (not fully inclusive)
- Charles Young: He served as an early Superintendent of Sequoia National ParkSequoia National ParkSequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
in 1903. As a Captain in the 9th Cavalry Regiment, he was directed to take two troops of Buffalo soldiers to the Giants Grove of Sequioa and protect the trees and the park from damage. While there, the two companies completed construction of a road to the Giant's Grove, making public access possible.. - Robert Stanton, National Capital Parks (East) (1970–1971)
- Georgia Ellard, Rock Creek Park (1977–1988)
- Garry Traynham, Allegheny Portage (1990–1995)
- Charles Young: He served as an early Superintendent of Sequoia National Park
- Deputy Directors
- Donald Murphy, (2002–2005)
- Director
- Robert Stanton, (1997–2001)
Parks
- African Burial Ground National MonumentAfrican Burial Ground National MonumentAfrican Burial Ground National Monument at Duane Street and African Burial Ground Way in Lower Manhattan preserves a site containing the remains of more than 400 Africans buried during the 17th and 18th centuries. Historians estimate there may have been 15,000-20,000 burials there...
, New York, NY - Arlington HouseArlington House, The Robert E. Lee MemorialArlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion, is a Greek revival style mansion located in Arlington, Virginia, USA that was once the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It overlooks the Potomac River, directly across from the National Mall in Washington,...
, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, Arlington, VA; - Booker T. Washington National MonumentBooker T. Washington National MonumentThe Booker T. Washington National Monument is a National Monument near Hardy, Franklin County, Virginia. It preserves portions of the 207-acre tobacco farm on which educator and leader Booker T. Washington was born into slavery on April 5, 1856...
, Hardy, VA; Boston NHS, Boston, MA; George Washington Carver NHS - Boston African American National Historic SiteBoston African American National Historic SiteThe Boston African American National Historic Site, in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts's Beacon Hill neighborhood, interprets 15 pre-Civil War structures relating to the history of Boston's 19th century African-American community, including the Museum of Afro-American History's African Meeting...
, Boston, MA; - Brown v. Board of Education National Historic SiteBrown v. Board of Education National Historic SiteBrown v. Board of Education National Historic Site was established in Topeka, Kansas, on October 26, 1992, by the United States Congress to commemorate the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision aimed at ending racial segregation in public schools...
, Topeka, KS - Cane River Creole National Historical ParkCane River Creole National Historical ParkCane River Creole National Historical Park is located within the Cane River National Heritage Area in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. The United States National Historical Park protects a total of 67 historic structures at two locations, Magnolia Plantation and Oakland Plantation. Both plantation...
, Natchez, LA; Central High School NHS, Little Rock, AR; - Colonial National Historical ParkColonial National Historical ParkColonial National Historical Park is located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia and is operated by the National Park Service of the United States government...
, Yorktown, VA (Jamestown African Americans); - Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical ParkDayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Parkthumb|left|200 px|The Wright Flyer III, now in Carillon Historical Park, shown being flown by Orville Wright on October 4, 1905, over [[Huffman Prairie]] near Dayton...
, Dayton, OH (Paul L. Dunbar House); - Frederick Douglass National Historic SiteFrederick Douglass National Historic SiteThe Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, is located at 1411 W St., SE in Anacostia, a neighborhood east of the Anacostia River in Southeast Washington, D.C.. Established in 1988 as a National Historic Site, the site preserves the home and estate of...
, Washington, D.C.; - Fort Davis National Historic SiteFort Davis National Historic SiteFort Davis National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located in unincorporated Jeff Davis County, Texas. Located within the Davis Mountains of West Texas, the historic site was established in 1961 to protect one of the best remaining examples of a United States Army fort in...
, Fort Davis, TX (Buffalo Soldiers); - Fort Scott National Historic SiteFort Scott National Historic SiteFort Scott National Historic Site is a historical area under the control of the United States National Park Service in Bourbon County, Kansas, United States. Named after Mexican-American War General Winfield Scott, during the middle of the 19th century it served as a military base for army action...
, Fort Scott, KS (Kansas 1st Colored Dragoons); - Fort Smith National Historic SiteFort Smith National Historic SiteFort Smith National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located primarily in Fort Smith, Arkansas along the Arkansas River, and also along the opposite bank of the river near Moffett, Oklahoma....
, Fort Smith, AR (from slavery to Parker’s Court); - George Washington Birthplace National MonumentGeorge Washington Birthplace National MonumentThe George Washington Birthplace National Monument is in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. Originally settled by John Washington, George Washington's great-grandfather, George Washington was born here on February 22, 1732...
, Washington’s Birthplace, VA (Washington’s Slaves, Indentured Servants, & Free Blacks; - George Washington Carver National MonumentGeorge Washington Carver National MonumentGeorge Washington Carver National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service located about two miles west of Diamond, Missouri; the national monument was founded on July 14, 1943, by Franklin Delano Roosevelt who dedicated $30,000 US to the monument...
, Diamond, MO; - Guadalupe Mountains National ParkGuadalupe Mountains National ParkGuadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at in elevation. It also contains El Capitan, long used as a landmark by people traveling along the old route later followed by the Butterfield Overland...
, Salt Flat, TX (Buffalo Soldiers) - Harpers Ferry National Historical ParkHarpers Ferry National Historical ParkHarpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The park includes land in Jefferson County, West Virginia; Washington County, Maryland and Loudoun County, Virginia. The park is managed by the...
, Harpers Ferry, WV; (Frederick Douglas Visit) - Harpers Ferry TC, Storer CollegeStorer CollegeStorer College was a historically black college located in Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It operated from 1865 until 1955.-Storer School:...
, Harpers Ferry, WV; (Free Black School) - Hopewell Furnace National Historic SiteHopewell Furnace National Historic SiteHopewell Furnace National Historic Site in southeastern Berks County, near Elverson, Pennsylvania, is an example of an American 19th century rural "iron plantation"...
, HopewellHopewell-USA:*Hopewell, Alabama *Hopewell, Arkansas *Hopewell, California*Hopewell, Connecticut *Hopewell, Florida...
, PA; (African Americans) - Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveJean Lafitte National Historical Park and PreserveJean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects significant examples of the rich natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region. The park, named after Jean Lafitte, seeks to illustrate the influence of environment and history on the development of a unique...
, New Orleans, LA; - Jefferson National Expansion MemorialJefferson National Expansion MemorialThe Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was designated as a National Memorial by Executive Order 7523, on December 21, 1935, and is maintained by the National Park Service .The park was established to...
, St. Louis, MO (Black Frontiersman) - Lincoln Home National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the Springfield, Illinois home where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1844 to 1861, before becoming the 16th President of the United States...
, Springfield, IL; - Lincoln MemorialLincoln MemorialThe Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
, Washington, D.C.; - Maggie L. Walker National Historic SiteMaggie L. Walker National Historic SiteThe Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Site located at 110½ E. Leigh Street in the Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. The site was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1975. The National Historic...
, Richmond, VA; - Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic SiteMartin Luther King, Jr. National Historic SiteMartin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site established on October 10, 1980, consists of several buildings surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn historic district of Atlanta, Georgia. The original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King...
, Atlanta, GA; - Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic SiteMary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic SiteThe Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site preserves the house of Mary McLeod Bethune, located in Northwest Washington, D.C., at 1318 Vermont Avenue. National Park Service rangers offer tours of the home, and a video is shown about Bethune's life.-External links:* *...
, Washington, D.C.; - New Orleans Jazz National Historical ParkNew Orleans Jazz National Historical ParkNew Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is a U.S. National Historical Parkin the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, near the French Quarter. It was created in 1994 to celebrate the origins and evolution of jazz, America’s most widely-recognized genre of music.The park consists of ...
, New Orleans, LA; - Nicodemus National Historic SiteNicodemus National Historic SiteNicodemus National Historic Site, located in Nicodemus, Kansas, United States, preserves, protects and interprets the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the American Civil War...
, Nicodemus, KS; - Perry's Victory and International Peace MemorialPerry's Victory and International Peace MemorialPerry's Victory and International Peace Memorial commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie, near Ohio's South Bass Island, in which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet to victory in one of the most significant naval battles to occur in the War of 1812...
, Put-in-Bay, OH; (Black Sailors) - Petersburg National BattlefieldPetersburg National BattlefieldPetersburg National Battlefield is a National Park Service unit preserving sites related to the American Civil War Siege of Petersburg. The Battlefield is centered around Petersburg, Virginia, and also includes outlying components in Hopewell, Prince George County, and Dinwiddie County...
, Petersburg, VA; - Port Chicago Naval Magazine National MemorialPort Chicago Naval Magazine National MemorialThe Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is a memorial dedicated in 1994 recognizing the dead of the Port Chicago disaster, and the critical role played by Port Chicago, California during World War II, in serving as the main facility for the Pacific Theater of Operations...
, Concord NWS, Concord, CA; - Richmond National Battlefield ParkRichmond National Battlefield ParkRichmond National Battlefield Park commemorates more than 30 American Civil War sites around Richmond, Virginia, which served as the capital of the Confederate States of America for the majority of the war...
, Richmond, VA; - San Francisco Maritime National Historical ParkSan Francisco Maritime National Historical ParkThe San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco, California, USA. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility...
, San Francisco, CA; (African American Maritime History) - Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, Montgomery, Lowndes & Dallas Counties, AL;
- Timucuan Ecological and Historic PreserveTimucuan Ecological and Historic PreserveThe Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is located in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, in the United States. The park was established in 1988, and covers 46,000 acres...
, Jacksonville, FL; (Kingsley Plantation) - Tuskegee Airman National Historic Site, Tuskegee, AL;
- Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, Tuskegee, AL;
- Virgin Islands National ParkVirgin Islands National ParkVirgin Islands National Park is a United States National Park covering approximately 60% of the island of Saint John in the United States Virgin Islands, plus a few isolated sites on the neighboring island of St. Thomas...
, St.Johns, VI.
See also
- Canada
- African-Canadian Heritage Tour
- List of Black Canadians
- North American Black Historical MuseumNorth American Black Historical MuseumThe Nazrey African Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site and North American Black Historical Museum are located in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada....
- Slavery in CanadaSlavery in CanadaSlavery in what now comprises Canada existed into the 1830s, when slavery was officially abolished. Some slaves were of African descent, while others were aboriginal . Slavery which was practiced within Canada's current geography, was practiced primarily by Aboriginal groups...
- United States
- African American Historic PlacesAfrican American Historic PlacesThe stories of the contributions, hardships, and aspirations of all American people can be seen in the experiences of African Americans. The places listed below represent the achievements and struggles of African Americans. Visitors to these sites can gain a better understanding of the events and...
- African Americans in FranceAfrican Americans in FranceAfrican Americans in France are a subgroup of the larger American population in France, it may include people of African American heritage or black people from the United States who are or have become residents or citizens of France as well as students and temporary workers...
- Buffalo Soldier
- African American Historic Places
- General
- African diasporaAfrican diasporaThe African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
- Black peopleBlack peopleThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
- List of topics related to Black and African people
- African diaspora