In that era, original hunters were pursuing big game into oblivion, and taking birds for their meat and feathers. Conservationists are to stand at floridas pelican island. In 1903, president Theodore Roosevelt established this tiny 5. 5 acre island as americas First National wildlife refuge. And soon, the refuges followed. The Wichita Mountains refuge was created in oklahoma in 1905. To provide a haven for the american bison. Although these great shaggy beasts had once numbered in the millions, by the earliest 20th century, so few bison remained that the government had to ship 50 survivors from the new york zoo to form a starter heard for the new refuge. Other sanctuaries were decreed for from one and the open bighorn sheep. And after 10,000 elk starved to death by striking wintering grounds in wyoming, the government established the National Elk Refuge in 1912 and launched a winter feeding program. In the 1930s, the devastating droughts of the dustbowl years dealt another blow to wildlife, drying out the prairie marsh is that migratory waterfowl needed for nesting, feeding, and resting stops. Hunters came to the aid of waterfowl, that proposal to purchase duck stamps, to generate funds to buy and restore wetlands. After the act passed in 1934, the nations refuge chief, j clark sawyer, drove around the country scouring the landscape for likely duck habitats. By the end of the dustbowl era, he had added more than 100 new refuges to the system, many located along traditional waterfowl migration routes. In 1980, the system grew once again, as the addition of vast acreages in alaska provided protection for nesting grounds for millions of birds. And habitats for everything from giant kodiak bears to pacific salmon. Now, more than a century after its founding, the system has expanded to include refuges in every state, as well as five territories. And the system takes in virtually every type of habitat in the nation. From the rain forest, to the desert. And from the tundra to the tropics. These refuges provide laces to rest and reproduce for literally hundreds of species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and other creatures. Included in that tally are 250 threatened and endangered species. Creatures that might not survive but for the presence of these protected lands. To enhance the survival of all the species under their care, refuge employees work behind the scenes, improving habitats, Building Wildlife populations, and conducting research to learn how to better meet wildlife needs. In this way, the refuge system is helping to ensure that the complex webs of life remain intact for future generations. I am trying to decide which to support. Im trying to decide between the governors who have executive experience or someone like mark crews and marco rubio. Issue tost important me is national service. There are more than 5 Million National americans that are ready to step forward with programs like americorps, peace corps. This week and on american artifacts, we look at a atection of artifacts left the vietnam memorial, including heres a preview. I am a Museum Technician for the National Park service. Memorialr the vietnam connection collections center. Our collection specifically is housed entirely in this building. Objects that are collected in washington dc for visitors come by the memorial ryday, leave objects with which park rangers collect. Every two weeks or so, we do a themp and we sort through and catalog them and make them part of our collection. Was left in 2000. It was left by ellen for barry, who is killed in vietnam. Im just going to read it. Myas, it says, dearest barry, it has been 31 years since you have been taken away from you. As i visit the memorial today in washington dc, i leave with you the ring i gave with you the when we first you met. Please know that i always love you. I mourned for the family you are never given a chance to have. Wendy lord takes me home, i know we will meet again and shared many memories. I love you. I feel like the purpose of the collection is to help people heal and to get over the things that happened in the past. Specifically, the men who died in vietnam and lend a helping hand to that. Just the process of making a craft helps them heal. There are a lot of things that have to do with ptsd. Processps their healing thate have a lot of things give information about a specific soldiers life. When you go to the wall, you see all the names. Someone has left something for a specific person, we can tell a little bit more about that persons life. Watch the entire Program Sunday at 6 00 and 10 00 p. M. Here on cspan3s American History tv. Texas professor natalie rank, talks about the common practice of lynching black men for perceived crimes. How ida b wells class isd the her about one hour and 10 minutes. Prof. Ring in the past few lectures we have been looking at the jim crow justice system