On 1 October 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation creating Yosemite National Park. Yosemite was not the first national park. That honor goes to Yellowstone which became a national park when President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation creating it on 1 March 1872. At the beginning of the 20^th century, five national parks were created under the leadership of President Teddy Roosevelt whose actions doubled the number of national parks.

Ironically, on the 123^rd anniversary of the creation of Yosemite National Park, Yosemite was closed to the public when the American government shut down. Only essential services can continue during the shutdown and national parks are not considered essential. Neither are libraries nor museums nor the environment nor education considered essential.

Last night, I tried to help a student with an assignment. To do so, I attempted to find information about national parks. I do not think that President Roosevelt would be amused to know that educational materials about his beloved national parks cannot be found on-line—at least not on government websites. Providing such information to the public is not considered essential.

As someone who devotes his life to education, some might argue that my advocacy of education is self serving. However, like Members of Congress, I will continue to get paid during the period when the government is shut down. Furthermore, as an historian, I know that tyrants and dictators have typically been hostile to education because educated people cannot be easily controlled and manipulated. Educated citizens are a threat to authoritarian governments.

Thomas Jefferson argued that “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” Closing libraries and museums and national parks and websites that provide information about the government undermine students’ abilities to further their educations. But, more importantly, without national parks, our survival as a free people is threatened.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Photo Caption: Screen Capture from National Park Service Website (top). Ansel Adams photograph of “Kearsage Pinnacles,” Kings Canyon, Yosemite National Park. c. 1930s.