January 11: General Interest

1908 : Theodore Roosevelt makes Grand Canyon a
national monument

On January 11, 1908, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
declares the massive Grand Canyon in northwestern
Arizona a national monument.

Though Native Americans lived in the area as early as
the 13th century, the first European sighting of the
canyon wasn't until 1540, by members of an expedition
headed by the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de
Coronado. Because of its remote and inaccessible
location, several centuries passed before North
American settlers really explored the canyon. In 1869,
geologist John Wesley Powell led a group of 10 men in
the first difficult journey down the rapids of the
Colorado River and along the length of the 277-mile
gorge in four rowboats.

By the end of the 19th century, the Grand Canyon was
attracting thousands of tourists each year. One famous
visitor was President Theodore Roosevelt, a New Yorker
with a particular affection for the American West.
Elected in 1901, Roosevelt made environmental
conservation a major part of his presidency. After
establishing the National Wildlife Refuge to protect
the country's animals, fish and birds, Roosevelt
turned his attention to federal regulation of public
lands. Though a region could be given national park
status--indicating that all private development on
that land was illegal--only by an act of Congress,
Roosevelt cut down on red tape by beginning a new
presidential practice of granting a similar "national
monument" designation to some of the West's greatest
treasures.

In January 1908, Roosevelt exercised this right to
make more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon area
into a national monument. "Let this great wonder of
nature remain as it now is," he declared. "You cannot
improve on it. But what you can do is keep it for your
children, your children’s children, and all who come
after you, as the one great sight which every American
should see."

Congress did not officially outlaw private development
in the Grand Canyon until 1919, when President Woodrow
Wilson signed the Grand Canyon National Park Act.
Today, more than 5 million people visit the canyon
each year. The canyon floor is accessible by foot,
mule or boat, and whitewater rafting, hiking and
running in the area are especially popular. Many
choose to conserve their energies and simply take in
the breathtaking view from the canyon's South
Rim--some 7,000 feet above sea level--and marvel at a
vista virtually unchanged for over 400 years.

history.com/tdih.do