Museums, Monuments, and National Parks

The rapid expansion of the field of public history since the 1970s has led many to believe that it is a relatively new profession. In this book, Denise D. Meringolo shows that the roots of public history actually reach back to the nineteenth century, when the federal government entered into the work of collecting and preserving the nations natural and cultural resources. Scientists conducting research and gathering specimens became key figures in a broader effort to protect and interpret the nations landscape. Their collaboration with entrepreneurs, academics, curators, and bureaucrats alike helped pave the way for other governmental initiatives, from the Smithsonian Institution to the parks and monuments today managed by the National Park Service.

Denise D. Meringolo is associate professor of history and director of public history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.