Tag: NPS

The Doll Test – Exposing the Impacts of Racial Segregation

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In the mid-twentieth century, researchers started examining African American children’s sense of racial identity, including how they perceived themselves relative to white children.  Husband and wife psychologists, Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark, conducted what is now known as the landmark “doll test” on students.  Their innovative research showed discouraging results, yet it played an influential role in American civil rights legislation. 

You’re invited to learn more about the legacy of the Clarks’ pioneering work at a special presentation at Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site on Wednesday March 22. 

Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark

Journalist Tim Spofford will discuss his new book What the Children Told Us, an account of the life and legacy of the Clarks.   In 1940, the Harlem psychologists received a grant to study African American pupils’ dawning sense of racial identity in the nominally integrated North (Springfield, Massachusetts) and in the strictly segregated South (Mamie’s hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas). They used four similar baby dolls in their testing:  two brown dolls with hair painted black and two white dolls with hair painted yellow.   

The researchers found that two-thirds of the 250+ African American pupils tested preferred a white doll to a brown doll.  Some children even denied their race. “I look brown because I got a suntan,” said Edward D., nearly age 8, who preferred a white doll.  “I’m a white boy.” To the Clarks, these African American children had internalized the low opinion of their race in a segregated nation.   

The shocking test results quickly caught hold throughout America’s scientific and educational community.  The doll test eventually played a key role in the Brown v. Board of Education decision (1954), the U.S. Supreme Court case that desegregated public schools in America.  

Author Tim Spofford

During tomorrow’s presentation at the park visitor center, Spofford will highlight how the Clarks were directly linked to the 1957 desegregation crisis at Little Rock’s Central High School.  The researchers first got to know Daisy Bates, one of the nine African American teenagers seeking to attend the formerly all-white school.  Later, the couple “adopted” Minnijean Brown, the Black student expelled from Central High during the crisis. That allowed Minnijean to live with them and study for two years in a private school in Harlem and earn her diploma.  
 
Today, the Clark dolls are on exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. and at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Topeka, Kansas. The Clarks’ experiment is still conducted today by students and scholars around the world.  

Celebrating Women’s History Month

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Throughout history, women have been instrumental in every facet of human endeavor.  Whether they have been renowned trailblazers or unsung heroines working behind the scenes, women have helped guide the course of American history and they continue to shape our future.

That’s why JNPA is commemorating Women’s History Month.  In the words of a White House proclamation, the month of March is an opportunity to “celebrate the countless women who have fought tirelessly and courageously for equality, justice, and opportunity in our Nation.  We also reaffirm our commitment to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls in the United States and around the world.”

In honor of Women’s History Month, JNPA is proud to offer a number of books that shine a light on examples of women’s contributions to our national heritage, in both civil rights and voting rights:

Warriors Don’t Cry is a first-person account of Melba Pattillo Beals, one of nine African American teenagers who helped integrate Little Rock’s Central High School in the 1950s.  This searing account of her junior year at Central High highlights Beals’ bravery in the face of racist warnings, attacks, and ultimately, death threats.

The Long Shadow of Little Rock is a riveting memoir by Daisy Bates, one of the Little Rock Nine.  As a later civil rights activist, journalist, and lecturer, Bates provides a riveting and very personal account of America’s fraught school desegregation movement. 

An iconic 1957 image of a white girl screaming at an African American student highlights the anguish of America’s struggle to desegregate schools.  Elizabeth and Hazel recounts the intersecting lives of those two girls – Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan Massery – whose very different lives unexpectedly braided together.

Women of the Suffrage Movement recounts the decades-long struggle of American women to secure the right to vote, from the famous Seneca Falls meeting in 1848 to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

The women’s suffrage movement of the 1800s and 1900s was about more than just the right to vote.  It encompassed the most fundamental rights of citizenship: the right to receive fair wages, to hold property, to sign contracts, and to file suit in court.  Sisters examines the lives of America’s leading suffragists and how their efforts resulted in far-reaching changes to the nation’s laws.

The Golden Lane is the story of how women in Missouri gained the vote and changed the state’s history.

A New Life for a Historic Building

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The stately Old Courthouse has stood on its site in Gateway Arch National Park for nearly 200 years.  Its courtrooms have been witness to some of the most important court cases in American history, including suits by enslaved African Americans seeking their freedom, and challenges to women’s right to vote.

But over the decades, the imposing building in downtown St. Louis has been in need of serious renovations, both to update its structural integrity and security, and to ensure accessibility for all visitors.  There was also a need to substantially update the building’s exhibits to better explain the stories that unfolded within its walls.

The Old Courthouse is now closed until these renovations are complete.  But let’s take a sneak peek of the fascinating exhibits now in the works for the four exhibit galleries.

Northeast Gallery: Dred and Harriet Scott – Focuses on the Scott family’s fight for freedom, which began in the Old Courthouse, and how the legal and political environment at the time culminated in the infamous U.S. Supreme Court Decision. The exhibit gallery also reflects on the legacy and relevancy of their case today.

Northwest Gallery: Pathways to Freedom – Explores African American life in St. Louis: slavery, the tortured legacy of enslaved individuals seeking freedom, post-Civil War civil rights, and more.

Southeast Gallery: Designed for Justice – Highlights the architectural features of the courthouse and the spirit of innovation of its architects, designers, builders, and craftsmen.

Southwest Gallery: See You in Court – Focuses on the importance of courts in our society, our legal structure, and the daily activities in the courthouse from 1839 to 1930. Visitors will be able to experience an 1850s courtroom and re-enact mock trials.  These will further their understanding of how our court system allows us to settle disputes peacefully and provides a framework for how our society functions.

The Old Courthouse renovations are jointly funded by the National Park Service and the Gateway Arch Park Foundation. 

A Spotlight on Slavery in St. Louis

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The institution of slavery afflicted most major U.S. cities, and St. Louis was no exception.  Yet most modern-day St. Louisans aren’t aware of the many stories of heartbreak and hope that stemmed from the local slave trade.  The historians at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site have created a new exhibit to address this knowledge gap.

Let’s take a peek at the exhibit.

What do Dred and Harriet Scott, Lucy Delaney, and Elizabeth Keckley have in common? They were all enslaved African Americans in St. Louis who were renowned for their battles for freedom.  They also feature prominently in the new Slavery in St. Louis exhibit now on display at the visitor center at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.  

A team of local historians and educators – led by park staff members Nick Sacco and Gregory Carr –carefully selected exhibit stories that focus not only on slavery but on freedom.  Nine exhibit panels are featured along with artifacts from the park’s museum collections. These explore the personal stories of notable individuals, such as the Scotts, as well as Ulysses S. Grant’s relationship to slavery. Additionally, the exhibit examines what life was like for enslaved people living in St. Louis.

Contributors to this exhibit include:

  • Lynne Jackson
  • Cicely Hunter
  • Ashley Lock
  • Corinne Mason
  • Katrina Moore
  • Vynetta Morrow
  • Robin Produie
  • Maria Russel
  • Kelly Schmidt
  • Jeff Smith
  • Joe Thurman
  • Jamilah Whiteside
  • Liz Wolfson

Make sure to visit the park and check out Slavery in St. Louis soon, as this temporary exhibit will eventually hit the road to be displayed at other institutions.

Happy President’s Day!

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We love President’s Day!  Why?  Because JNPA is the proud partner of three national parks that were created to honor a U.S. president.  So as we approach President’s Day on Monday February 20, join us in honoring our national leaders, and find out how you can celebrate the upcoming holiday.

Though his name is no longer included in the park title, Thomas Jefferson is the reason behind the establishment of Gateway Arch National Park (formerly Jefferson National Expansion Memorial).  The 90-acre park is a memorial to the third president’s role in exploring the American West.  In addition to Eero Saarinen’s soaring Arch, the park features a museum that explores St. Louis’ vital role in U.S. history.  It also includes the historic Old Courthouse, where the enslaved Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom in the mid-1800s.  (The Courthouse is currently closed for renovations.)

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site commemorates the life and illustrious military career of our 18th president.  White Haven, the restored home where Grant and his wife Julia lived in the 1850s, is one of five historic structures that visitors can tour.  The site also features a museum housed in Grant’s former stable, as well as an introductory film on Grant’s life in the visitor center.

The boyhood home of President Bill Clinton is the featured attraction at President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in Hope, Arkansas. The small but important park recently celebrated its 12th anniversary as a National Park Service site.  Clinton spent the first four years of his life in the white frame house.  Visitors can join a ranger-led tour of the home, which has been restored with furniture that evokes the 1940s, and view exhibits on the president’s life in the nearby visitor center.

Looking for a way to celebrate President’s Day?  Here are two St. Louis-area events you might enjoy, as well as a few products we love:

At the Gateway Arch:

Washington’s Ball, Saturday Feb. 18 12:00-4:00

Although Gateway Arch National Park is less about George Washington than Thomas Jefferson, the park will celebrate the first president’s birthday with a mid-19th century ball.  Visitors can learn old-fashioned dance steps from a historic dance expert, or just hang back and watch others twirl the afternoon away.

The ball will be held on the mezzanine inside the Arch visitor center.  It is free and open to all ages.  Historical clothing is not required to participate!

At Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site:

Museum Quest, Monday, February 20

Here’s a family-friendly way to observe President’s Day:  take part in a follow-the-clues quest at the park’s museum.  You’ll learn about Grant’s connection to other presidents, as well as some of accomplishments and events during his presidency. When you have completed the quest, you will receive a special commemorative gift.

The quest will run all day, and is fun for all ages.

Fans of bobbleheads can celebrate the holiday with one of our fun presidential bobbleheads – either Thomas Jefferson or Bill Clinton.  Whichever you choose, be sure to ask the president a question and he’ll answer you with a nod, “Yes, yes, yes, yes!”  Both bobbleheads are available at our park stores, or online.

Wonderful Winter Wildlife

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Winter, a time of frozen lakes, sparkling snowfall, frigid temperatures, and… abundant wildlife? If you’re in Voyageurs National Park, then yes! Though temperatures remain below freezing in the park for nearly a third of the year(!), that does not stop some intrepid animals from making an appearance.

Credit: NPS/Grunwald

Winter is actually the ideal time of year to visit Voyageurs if you are hoping to see gray wolves in the wild. As the dominant predator in the park, they have an active and healthy population throughout the year, but during winter they can be more easily seen as they move along the lake shores hunting for food.

Credit: NPS/Nathan Hanks

The largest mammal in Voyageurs National Park is the magnificent and formidable moose. During the winter, moose have less access to high-quality foods, instead feeding on large quantities of willow, birch, and aspen. The scarcity of food resources forces the animals to conserve their energy, which includes staying away from deep snow and using packed trails or cleared roads. This increases the likelihood that  wildlife enthusiasts might see them, though you will want to be especially alert when driving in moose territory! Even if you do not see wild moose, you may be lucky enough to spot their antlers lying in the snow, as adult bull moose shed their antlers during the winter.

Snowshoe hare in summer, fall, and winter. Credit: NPS

An animal that may be more challenging to spot in winter is the snowshoe hare. These small mammals are slightly larger than a cottontail rabbit and live primarily in coniferous forests such as those found in Voyageurs. Snowshoe hares are unique because their fur actually changes color depending on the season! In summer, they are dark brown to blend in with the shadows of their forest habitat. In winter, their fur turns a brilliant white which helps them to perfectly blend in with the snow.

Credit: NPS/Gordy Lindgren

No matter the season, Voyageurs is a perfect place for birdwatching. Many species of birds remain in the park throughout the winter, including loons, grey owls, great horned owls, cardinals, and warblers. One majestic bird actually migrates TO Minnesota in winter! Canadian winters actually drive snowy owls south to the more “moderate” climate of Voyageurs National Park, though they return north during the warmer summer months. These beautiful birds have perfect camouflage for the snowy months and the eerie ability to fly in complete silence, presenting a challenge for birdwatchers.  But if you are incredibly lucky, you may be able to spot one!

Take a Virtual Tour of Ulysses Grant’s Life

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Ulysses S. Grant lived in many places throughout his lifetime. Now that the year-long celebration of the Ulysses S. Grant Bicentennial has come to an end, we thought it was a perfect time to visit a range of historic sites around the country where you can trace the growth and development of our 18th president.  From homes to memorials to museums, each of these 11 sites provides a unique perspective on the life and legacy of our 18th president.

The first stop on our virtual tour is Ulysses’ birthplace in Point Pleasant, a small town in southwest Ohio. He was born there on April 27, 1822, in a one-story frame home rented by his parents, Jesse and Hannah Grant.  The family moved a year later to a larger brick home in nearby Georgetown, Ohio, and young Ulysses lived there until he left for West Point in 1839. In addition to his boyhood home, the town also features the small schoolhouse he attended, the tannery his father built, and other Grant-related sites.

Credit: U.S. Grant Birthplace

When he was 17, Grant enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, thanks to his father’s encouragement.  Visitors to West Point can see several memorials and statues dedicated to Grant when they book a tour at the academy.

Painting of West Point by George Catlin, circa 1827. Credit: U.S. Army

After graduation, the young cadet was assigned to join the 4th U.S. Infantry at Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis.  It was here that Grant’s friendships led him to visit White Haven, the sprawling plantation where he would meet his future wife, Julia Dent. Visitors to Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site can tour the White Haven home as well as the on-site museum devoted to Ulysses and Julia’s lives.

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

Other sites on our virtual tour trace the various military outposts and stations around the country where Grant served in the U.S. military, sometimes with Julia and his children, sometimes not.  These include Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, WA – another National Park Service site.

Barracks at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Credit: NPS

Additional Grant home sites that are open for public tours are also part of our virtual tour.  They include the Grant home in Galena, Ill., where his family relocated after his failed career as a farmer in White Haven, and the Grant Cottage in Wilton, NY where Grant died of throat cancer on July 23, 1885.

The Grant home in Galena, IL. Credit: U.S. Grant State Historic Sites

The final resting place of Ulysses and Julia Grant is also worthy of a visit.  This is the General Grant National Memorial in New York City. This largest mausoleum in North America was dedicated in 1897, with more than a million people in attendance.

General Grant National Memorial. Credit: NPS

And finally, Grant scholars will want to stop in at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library in Starkville, MI.  Mississippi was the site of the Battle of Vicksburg, the general’s greatest victory in the Civil War.  Visitors to the library can view exhibits as well as many of Grant’s papers, which are housed at Mississippi State University.

Credit: Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library

Voyageurs National Park: 80 Years in the Making

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Voyageurs National Park is a wonderland of lakes, streams, forests, and wildlife.  It is also one of the few places in North America where you can see and touch rocks half the age of the Earth. The exposed rock is the southern edge of the Canadian Shield, the gigantic dome of volcanic bedrock that forms the core of the continent. 

As this special site gets ready to celebrate its 52nd year as a national park on January 8, it’s worth looking back on its controversial beginnings.  Voyageurs is a park that took 80 years to create! 

All the way back in 1891, the Minnesota Legislature passed a resolution requesting that the federal government create a national park in Minnesota by “setting apart a tract of land along the northern boundary of the state.”  Congress never acted upon the request but that didn’t stop nature lovers from continuing to press for some form of federal protection for the forest and water resources of northeastern Minnesota, especially the border lakes region. History lovers, too, wanted the area preserved to commemorate the intrepid French-Canadian voyageurs who once criss-crossed its lakes and streams to transport furs and other goods. 

However, opposition to the national park proposal was fierce, especially from business interests who wanted to take advantage of the area’s abundant natural resources, primarily forests, minerals, and water.  The battle also pitted locals against what they called “outsiders,” i.e., lawmakers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and “land grabbing” federal lawmakers. 

The stalemate continued through the mid-20th century until the 1950s and 1960s, when park proponents managed to interest the National Park Service in developing a plan for a national park.  In October of 1962, the NPS Advisory Board submitted a formal recommendation to the Secretary of Interior, noting that the area was “superbly qualified to be designated the second national park in the Midwest.” (Isle Royale was the first national park in the region.) 

It took years for the park’s enabling legislation to pass Congress, part of which required the State of Minnesota to donate 36,000 acres of state-owned land to the effort.  Many local residents were still opposed, seeing the move as encroachment by the federal government that would limit logging and hunting in the area and decrease taxable property. 

But finally in 1971 President Nixon signed the Voyageurs bill into law, though the site wouldn’t be officially established as the nation’s 36th national park until 1975.   

After the creation of the park, NPS began planning and constructing trails, boating sites, and other visitor amenities; it also established the area as a site for scientific research and conservation. In 1992, a wildlife protection zone was established for the gray wolf.  More than 220 Indigenous pre-contact sites have been identified within the park, some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

The path to national park status isn’t always smooth.  But JNPA, for one, is gratified that Voyageurs will continue to protect this invaluable wilderness experience for all Americans. 

Keep Out the Winter Chill

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Now that most of us are in the throes of Ol’ Man Winter, what better time to make sure you have the right clothes and drinkware to keep you warm.  Luckily, our partner parks offer a wide range of winter-ready products:

Who knows cold weather better than the folks in northern Minnesota?  This cheery red hoodie from Voyageurs National Park promises to keep you warm and toasty.  Comes in sizes small to XX-large.

If you’re looking for something more lightweight, you’ll love this French terry hooded sweatshirt from Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park.   

Gateway Arch fans can stay warm in this Docker hooded sweatshirt.  It features the park name against a soothing blue background. 

And don’t forget to keep your head warm.  This cozy striped toque from Voyageurs not only does the job, but it’s the same design that the original voyageurs wore in the northern latitudes

Need something to keep your coffee or cocoa hot when you’re outdoors?  Try this handsome insulated water bottle from The Arch Store.  Made of sturdy stainless steel with a silver Arch graphic against a navy background.

All of these products are available both at our stores in their respective national parks, as well as from JNPA’s online store.  Remember:  each purchase you make helps support the educational programs and exhibits at our partner sites.

Broke at Christmas

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Let’s face it – many of us stress over holiday spending, whether it’s for gifts, airline tickets, party clothes, special foods, or even supplies for house guests.  So it might be comforting to know that some of America’s most famous historical figures also faced money woes during the Christmas season.  Take Ulysses S. Grant, who found himself in tough times at the holidays while living at White Haven.

Credit: NPS

In the mid-1850s, Grant was working hard to make a living as a farmer while he and his wife Julia were raising their young children at his in-laws’ 850-acre plantation near St. Louis.  He intended to plant potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and other vegetables – enough “to keep a wagon going to market every day.”  He was optimistic that the venture would be successful, writing his father that “Every day I like farming better and I do not doubt that money is to be made of it.” 

However, unseasonably bad weather, poor health, and an unstable economy hampered Grant, and he was forced on several occasions to ask his father for a loan to purchase farm equipment and seeds.  By late 1857 he became despondent and predicted financial ruin if his father didn’t come through (there is no evidence he ever received his much-needed loan). 

Credit: Library of Congress

To make matters worse, America was undergoing a severe recession known as the Panic of 1857 caused by both the declining international economy and the over-expansion of the U.S. economy in previous years.  The Grant family was in a precarious financial state.  Just two days before Christmas, Grant was forced to pawn off a valuable gold watch and chain.  Even with this cash infusion, Ulysses, Julia, and their three children no doubt endured a bleak holiday season, as did many other American families that year.

A Painting of White Haven before the American Civil War. Credit: NPS

Eventually, Grant made plans to sell his farming equipment and by the fall of 1858 he and his family moved to St. Louis to find a new line of work.  Within a few years, the family moved to Galena, Illinois, and never again lived in Missouri.