San Antonio College Library

"In 1851 a small militia trekking through California's Sierra Nevada Mountains discovered one of the world's most spectacular natural sites; Yosemite Valley is now visited by millions of people each year. A comprehensive and unique scientific and cultural history of this remarkable area of natural beauty, Yosemite explores everything from the valley's geological origins to its nineteenth-century discovery and the creation of the magnificent park that...

This episode tells how, by the end of the 19th century, industrialization had left many Americans worried about whether the country would have any pristine land left. Poachers in the parks were rampant, and visitors were littering or carving their names in wilderness sites. Congress had yet to establish judicial authority or set aside appropriations for protection of the parks. This sparked a conservation movement by organizations such as the Sierra...