The human history of the Yellowstone region goes back more than 11,000 years. From about 11,000 years ago to the very recent past, many groups of Native Americans used the park as their homes, hunting grounds, and transportation routes. These traditional uses of Yellowstone lands continued until a little over 200 years ago when the first people of European descent found their way into the park. In 1872, a country that had not yet seen its first centennial established Yellowstone as the first national park in the world. A new concept was born and with it a new way for people to preserve and protect the best of what they had for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.
Glossary
centennial the hundredth anniversary
What does the reference to the United States' centennial help the reader understand about the creation of Yellowstone National Park?
1. Yellowstone National Park was established as a way of celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the United States.
1 2. People had lived in the Yellowstone area of the United States for almost 100 years before it became the world's first national park.
3. Other nations would follow the example set by the United States and establish their own national parks on their hundredth anniversaries.
• 4. The United States government had the vision to create the world's first national park, even though the country was less than 100 years old.