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America's National Monuments : Great Plains

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In 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt created the nation's first National Monument designation. The purpose of this designation was to preserve for all Americans significant pieces of the country's history, ecology, geology and beauty for all Americans. All National Monuments are designated by U.S. Presidents and are chosen as their personal memorials of those most special parts of this great country . . . areas that they see a need to protect, over all others. Some are big. Some are small. Some National Monuments garner large budgets and staff. Others, next to none. America's National Monuments tell the story of the nation's past and present glory. In Legacy of the Great Plains we will visit the 10 monuments associated with America once vast grasslands. Join our tour of America's Great Plains National Monuments shot in high definition and presented by Bo Svenson. Monuments Visited: - Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument - Texas - Capulin Volcano National Monument - New Mexico - Fort Union National Monument - New Mexico - Pipestone National Monument - Minnesota - Little Bighorn National Monument - Montana - Agate Fossil Beds National Monument - Nebraska - Jewel Cave National Monument - South Dakota - Devil's Tower National Monument - Wyoming - Scott's Bluff National Monument - Nebraska - Homestead National Monument - Nebraska

Episodes:

• Geologic Wonders of the Northern Plains

  The geology of the Great Plains is a product of long epochs of sedimentary buildup followed by equally long epochs of erosion. The result today is a dramatic landscape of bluffs, pinnacles and badlands that contain the rich story, of ancient sea creatures, dinosaurs and long extinct, giant land mammals. But it was the rising up of the Black Hills in the vast Great Plains that created incredibly dramatic geological features. Explore Devil's Tower in Wyomin, Jewel Cave in South Dakota, and the Agate Fossil Beds in Nebraska.

  Length:	00:28:41
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2029

• Manifest Destiny

  When President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana territory from the French in 1803, he essentially added the Great Plains to the United States. From that point forward, Americans looked to form a nation from sea to sea . . . A great continental nation. This push west was called Manifest Destiny. Two National Monuments commemorate the heroic struggle of ordinary Americans to fulfill the American dream of Manifest Destiny. Chapter 1: Scott's Bluff National Monument (Nebraska) Chapter 2: Homestead National Monument (Nebraska)

  Length:	00:27:46
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2029

• Sioux Indian Wars

  The Northern Great Plains stretch from Minnesota in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the West. During the 19th century, this vast land of prairie grass and buffalo was the domain of the Sioux Indian Nation . . . a nation that would soon be at the heart of the Plains Indian wars. Chapter 1: Pipestone National Monument (Minnesota) Chapter 2: Little Bighorn Battle Site National Monument (Montana)

  Length:	00:26:41
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2029

• The Southern Plains

  The southern Plains are distinguished by short grass prairies . . . hot, dry summers, and cold, windy winters. But in spite of these tough climatic conditions, the area is rich in human history. Indeed, the southern Plains are called the cradle of North American culture. Chapter 1: Alibates Flint Quarry National Monument (Texas) Chapter 2: Capulin Volcano National Monument (New Mexico) Chapter 3: Fort Union National Monument (New Mexico)

  Length:	00:33:01
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2029

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