The American Promise: Legacies of Division in Yellowstone and Beyond

America’s national parks have always been represented as places that fulfill the American Promise: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Out of the death, destruction, and division of the American Civil War, Yellowstone National Park emerged as a way to remind the shattered nation that its citizens were united by forces more powerful than those that divided them. However, Black people, Indigenous peoples, and women have often been excluded from both the American Promise and our national parks. Did (and do) the parks really function “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,” as Yellowstone’s establishing legislation pledged? Join Quincy Balius and Justine Garcia for a discussion on the ways in which our national parks fulfill or fall short of the American Promise.

Quincy Balius is a public historian, interpreter, and educator. She earned her bachelor’s degree in History and master’s degree in American Studies from Montana State University. Her background includes work with organizations such as the Midwest Museum Association, Montana Science Center, Ohio History Connection, and the National Park Service. Justine Garcia is an interpreter and public historian. She earned her bachelor’s in History from Montana State University. She began her career in history at Cabrillo College and has since worked with Montana State University’s Special Collections and Archives and the National Park Service.