National Park Origins—Part 2: Shrines to a Manifested Destiny

National parks in the U.S. are often seen as places of natural beauty, but their origins are tied to Manifest Destiny—the belief that Americans were destined to settle and civilize the continent. National parks became symbols of national progress, reinforced by art depicting western expansion. While they offer refuge and inspiration, their history is also marked by conquest and exclusion of Native Americans, displacing them from sacred lands.