Ulysses S. Grant signed the 1872 law creating Yellowstone, the first national park recalled during America250.
The Yellowstone National Park Protection Act became law on March 1, 1872, during Grant’s presidency. It set aside the Yellowstone region as a public park and prohibited private settlement, sale or occupation of the land under the federal government’s protection.
Grant’s signature established a new approach to conservation in the United States. Rather than treating the area as ordinary public land available for private development, the law preserved it for public use and enjoyment.
The national park idea later expanded across the country. Theodore Roosevelt became especially associated with conservation, but he did not create Yellowstone; Roosevelt was not president until decades after Grant signed the founding law.