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Historical Evolution of Yosemite National Park
In the past 500 million years, Yosemite's geological conditions have gradually evolved from the seabed to rolling mountains, forming steep Sierra Nevada and deep river canyons. Three million years ago, glaciers brought by the Quaternary Ice Age once covered valleys and canyons. This scraping and carving power made the remaining granite still show the direction of glacier movement. About10,000 years ago, when the last glacier finally melted, debris blocked the valley and formed Yosemite Lake. The stream of the tributary falls vertically from the cliff, giving birth to the waterfall in the park. Sediment fills the lake through natural processes until it finally forms the bottom of Yosemite Valley.

When the Sierra Nevada was tilted by the earthquake, the Marseille River, which originated from the top of the snow-covered mountain, quietly cut a V-shaped valley among the mountains, and Yosemite was born.

Yosemite valley is covered by glaciers, and the valley is U-shaped. Traces of being cut by glaciers can be seen everywhere on the cliffs on both sides. After the glacier subsided, Yosemite Valley experienced many floods, and the alluvial plain was formed at the bottom of the valley.

The geological evolution of Yosemite has been going on, and Jinghu Lake is slowly filled with sediments like Yosemite Lake. 1996, the rock collapse on Happy Island was still transporting 80,000 tons of rock to the bottom of the valley at a speed of 160 miles per hour.

Perhaps as early as 10 thousand years ago, the earliest inhabitants of Yosemite Valley, Native Americans, took the lead in living in this area. The more modern tribes (including most Miwak Miwak tribes, but also including Paiyutute and others) named Yosemite Valley "Awany", which means "a place to open your mouth", so they called themselves Ahwahneechee. These local people have developed a rich culture and often trade with tribes from East Sierra.

According to legend, more than a thousand years ago, North American Indians thrived in this vast valley. The word "Yosemite" comes from Indian language, which means grizzly bear, and it is the totem of local Indian indigenous tribes.

Gold discovered in the foothills of California in about 1850 brought non-native immigrants to Yosemite valley for the first time. Unfortunately, there is a resource conflict between new immigrants and local residents. 185 1 year, a battalion entered Yosemite to carry out the task of finding native Americans, ending the conflict. Lafayette bonnell, the doctor of this expedition, brought back the beautiful and spectacular story of Yosemite Valley, and this inspiring place spread quickly. 1855, the first tourists visited Yosemite. As more and more tourists come to Yosemite by carriage, entrepreneurs see opportunities to provide goods and services in this distant destination. Soon, temporary rooms and family houses were built, and livestock and orchards also settled in the grassland. By 1864, some residents live in Yosemite valley all the year round.

1857, with the influx of people attracted by the golden tide in California, the mysterious veil of this area was unveiled for the first time.

Also at about 1855, a farmer in the south of Yosemite met the giant sequoia in the grove of Mariposa. Farmer Galen Clark was so impressed with these trees that he began to fight to protect them from being cut down. Soon, this struggle included protecting Yosemite Valley. With the support of photographer Carlton Watkins and US Senator John Conness, Yosemite Grant was drafted and submitted to Congress. 1864 during the civil war, abraham lincoln signed an appropriation for the protection of Yosemite valley and giant sequoia forest in Mariposa county, which was the first reserve independently separated by Congress for public use and preservation. In the first few years, it was a state park in California.

In 1889, John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson, editors of Century Magazine, paid more and more attention to the destructive influence of sheep grazing in this country. They launched a successful campaign to persuade Congress to turn this area into a national park on 1890. 1 890 65438+1October1,the United States Congress designated more than 1500 square miles of protected forest land, which soon became the famous Yosemite National Park.

1On June 30th, 864, President Lincoln designated the giant sequoia forest in Yosemite Valley in Mariposa County as a protected area and made it the first state park in the United States. The Scottish naturalist Muir Yisheng devoted himself to protecting the environment of Yosemite Valley and contributed to the establishment of Yosemite National Park (1890). Therefore, Yosemite Valley is also regarded as the birthplace of modern nature conservation movement.

1906, Yosemite National Park included Yosemite Grant District in its boundary. 19 16, the newly established National Park Service took over more than 400 national parks managed by American cavalry for many years.

1984, according to the natural heritage selection standard N(I)(III), UNESCO listed Yosemite National Park as a natural heritage in the World Heritage List, numbered 7 12-0 13.