The dream of freedom
According to Acronymmonster, the Booker T. Washington National Monument is to be discovered in the US state of Virginia. Located near the town of Hardy, Westlake Corner, southeast of the town of Roanoke, the National Monument consists of a former tobacco farm with historic buildings. It was there that Booker T. Washington, later known as the ” black rights activist ” in the United States, was born a bonded slave in 1856.
Booker T. Washington speaking in Lakeland, Tennessee, circa 1900
On his 100th birthday on April 5, 1956, the place of his birth was designated Booker T. Washington National Monument. Every year about 20,000 people visit the Booker T. Washington National Monument, which is also one of the “Historic Places” of the United States of America.
Learn from history
The purchase of the tobacco farm was financed by issuing a coin specially minted for it. There is no admission fee at the Booker T. Washington National Monument. The National Monument is particularly popular with school classes, for which special tours are offered.
Fighter for equal rights for African Americans
Booker T. Washington first had to work as a slave on the said tobacco farm in Virginia. After the end of the American Civil War (1861-1865) he was freed. He worked his way up and eventually founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School in Alabama in 1881.
Historic Buildings Tobacco Farm – Booker T. Washington NM – Virginia
He was a good speaker and campaigned vehemently for the rights and equality of African Americans. To this end, he created many educational institutions for Afro-American children in the south of the USA in order to help the children of the hitherto oppressed social class to gain more knowledge and thus better opportunities for advancement.
Shenandoah National Park – Virginia
Green paradise in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Shenandoah National Park is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the US state of Virginia in the eastern region of the United States. The Appalachian Mountains are a forested low mountain range that stretches approximately 1,500 miles from Canada to Alabamaextends to the south. The size of Shenandoah National Park is 800 km². Every year up to 1.5 million tourists come to the beautiful, densely wooded national park. Shenandoah National Park is an elongated protected area, which is characterized by forested mountain ridges, rivers and waterfalls. The forests of the national park are the home and shelter of diverse flora and fauna that are worthy of protection.
Mountains in Shenandoah National Park
Stony Man and Hawksbill, the highest peaks in Shenandoah National Park, rise to over 4,000 feet. Massanutten Mountain is another mountain in the region. The Shenandoah River flows through the national park in an east-west direction. On the east side of Shenandoah National Park, the landform transitions into the flatter hills of Piedmont Country.
Skyline Drive Shenandoah
The Skyline Drive is a nearly 170-kilometer auto route that allows visitors to drive through Shenandoah National Park and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings with ease. Skyline Drive begins in Front Royal in the Waynesboro-Charlottesville region of Virginia. Along the way, the nature lover drives through beautiful forests, discovers open landscapes, crosses mountain ridges, stops at wonderful vantage points, marvels at the waterfalls and streams before the Skyline Drive finally leads through idyllic valley locations of Shenandoah National Park. The Skyline Drive has the status of a National Scenic Byway in the United States.
Hiker’s Paradise Shenandoah
Shenandoah National Park has over 300 miles of trails for hikers and cyclists. About 100 miles of that is on the Appalachian Trail, which stretches over 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine in the north. The forests of Shenandoah National Park consist mainly of oak trees. Wild turkeys, red deer and black bears live in the sparse forests. Spring is a beautiful time to behold in Shenandoah National Park. The meadows are then full of wild flowers and herbs, there are blossoming fruit trees and the forests shine lush green.
Abundant wildlife of the Shenandoah
Over 60 species of amphibians and reptiles have been counted in the Shenandoah National Park area. In addition, about 200 bird species were identified; many of the bird species also breed in Shenandoah National Park. More than 30 species of fish swim in the waters of the national park. With permission from the National Parks Authority, camping is also permitted in the backcountry of Shenandoah National Park. You can access the national park via one of the four entrances or exits.
Successful reintroduction of rare animal species
The settlement by white settlers severely damaged and harmed the original flora and fauna. Many of the animal species and plants disappeared from the area. This process was only stopped or reversed with the establishment of the national park. Previously disappeared animals such as moose, beaver, otter, lynx and bear have been reintroduced to Shenandoah National Park. The only bear species in the national park is the black bear.
Human and nature
Humans roamed the Appalachian Mountains about 9,000 years ago. The abundance of water, the wildlife, as well as berries, nuts and fruits attracted people to the region of today’s Shenandoah National Park. White people first came to the area in the 17th century. Around 1750 the first whites settled there. They did agriculture. Mills were built on the numerous watercourses. Minerals were mined in the mountainous areas. At the end of the 19th century, tourism came to the fore. Numerous resorts have been built. As a result, more and more visitors, mostly city dwellers, flocked to the region to relax in the tranquility of the forests. When commercial use of the area got out of hand, Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935 for permanent protection of nature.
Campgrounds in Shenandoah National Park
- Loft Mountain
- Lewis Mountains
- Big Meadows
- Mathew’s arm
