FACT CHECK #4_JUFY3Q

WHAT WE FOUND

Hi there! I'd love to help you clear up the history of this beautiful park! While it’s a common mistake, the claim that Yosemite was the first national park is false 1 12. Officially, Yellowstone National Park holds the title of the first national park in the United States, established on March 1, 1872 1 12 14. Yosemite was actually designated as the third national park by an Act of Congress on October 1, 1890 1 7 13. However, I can see where the confusion comes from! Yosemite was indeed the first instance of the federal government setting aside land for protection. On June 30, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, which protected the land for public use and resort 3 6 12. Because this happened eight years before Yellowstone was created, some historians argue that “in fact, if not in name, Yosemite was the first national park” 4. But in terms of official status, it didn't join the national park system until nearly three decades after Lincoln's grant 1 13.

SOURCES

1. 1 · nps.govACADEMIC
   Yosemite National Park Celebrates 120th Birthday on ...

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2. 2 · history.comWEB
   Yosemite National Park established | October 1, 1890

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3. 3 · rvia.orgWEB
   These Are The 10 Oldest National Parks In The United States

   TIER B

4. 4 · medium.comWEB
   The First National Park? Maybe Not What You Thought

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5. 5 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
   Unearthing the facts on Yosemite's visitors, bears and ...

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6. 6 · sacredwonderland.usWEB
   The First National Park? Maybe Not What You Thought

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7. 7 · leventhalmap.orgWEB
   A Refuge from the Roar: Yosemite National Park

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8. 8 · daily.jstor.orgACADEMIC
   Living Laboratories: Science and the National Parks - JSTOR Daily

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9. 9 · universityofcalifornia.eduACADEMIC
   How old is Yosemite Valley? - University of California

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10. 10 · usgs.govACADEMIC
    The geologic story of Yosemite National Park - USGS.gov

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11. 11 · en.wikipedia.orgWEB
    Yosemite National Park - Wikipedia

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12. 12 · earthisland.orgACADEMIC
    Yosemite National Park Was Created 150 Years Ago

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13. 13 · truewestmagazine.comWEB
    Galen Clark makes Yosemite National Park possible

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14. 14 · quora.comWEB
    Why was Yellowstone chosen as a national park instead of ... - Quora

    TIER B