The major discovery phase of natural resources in America happened in the early 1700 and 1800. America was at its discovery stage and was trying to identify what would give it an edge over Europe.
Nature and natural resources were considered a source of wealth and a catalyst to attractions and revenue. Thomas Jefferson, the former president of the United States, was determined to identify the natural resources that could be exploited to give America an edge over other world players like France. In his book, Thomas Jefferson pens down what he discovers as natural assets (American West 12).
The American society was still young and had very little edge over Europe. The Potomac River was a beauty to awe and the scene was attractive for a voyage. There was also the natural bridge of the Shenandoah and the Mississippi rivers. The greatest discovery however was Gold in 1848 in Sierra Nevada, Niagara Falls, and Yosemite Falls. These featured very beautiful scenery, and offered a fair competition to Europe’s Alps. Yosemite offered spectacular scenery and was one of the highest falls. These features brought tourists to America and revenue for the state (American West 16-18).
The United States embarked on protecting the natural features from destruction of the natives through legislation. The idea of parks was made. Congress made initiatives to protect the Yosemite at the beginning of 1872. Various government agencies and politicians, such as senators wanted these features to be national parks to benefit the state and attract tourists to America. The Americans subsequently from 1875 protected many areas to fall under parks. Several discoveries were also made that exploited natural resources like forests, oil, and gold among other minerals. These features were unique and could not be found anywhere else (Worthless Lands 44-46).
The discovery of nature and natural resources, and the vast resources available catapulted the United States to the world stage. The several tourists that visited the spectacular landscapes, the Mississippi Rivers, and Niagara Falls among other natural features were unmatched. The discoveries surprised Europe and France in particular, which was daring to undiscovered America.
Work Cited
The American west. Chapter 1,(n.p).(n.d). print
Worthless lands. Chapter 3,(n.p). (n.d).print