Digital Repository

Grand Canyon of Arizona, 1908

President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law in 1906, allowing the president to set aside land with historic or scientific value for preservation as a national monument. During his presidency, the famous conservationist and outdoorsman set aside about 230 million acres for preservation, including eighteen national monuments, such as the Grand Canyon National Monument, established in 1908.

Grand Canyon of Arizona, 1908. Photograph by Haines Photo Co. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.