| Summary: | This is a two page overview of the Antiquities Act by the Wilderness Society.. Since Congress passed the Antiquities Act in 1906, presidents—Republicans and Democrats alike—have used the Act more than 100 times to preserve some of our most spectacular and historically important public lands. Although its title suggests a focus on archaeology (ruins, petroglyphs, etc.), the Antiquities Act gives the president the power to protect all forms of American history – natural, scientific, and archaeological – by designating National Monuments. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt, 15 Presidents have used the Act to create diverse National Monuments, ranging from the small (one acre) and historic Fort Matanzas in Florida to the large (10,600,000 acres) and spectacular Yukon Flats National Monument in Alaska.
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