Theme Studies

In May 2012, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar introduced a new Secretarial initiative focusing on women's history. The National Park Service Women's History Initiative projects explore how the legacy of Women can be recognized, preserved, and interpreted for future generations. Projects vary from increased interpretation, collaboration with community organizations, and the production of scholarly documentation.

What are National Historic Landmark Theme Studies?
National Historic Landmarks are often identified through theme studies.Theme studies are an effective way of identifying and nominating properties because they provide a comparative analysis of properties associated with a specific area of American history, such as the fur trade, earliest Americans, women's history, Greek Revival architecture, Man in Space, or labor history. Theme studies provide a national historic context for specific topics in American history or prehistory. In order to make the case for national significance, a theme study must provide that necessary national historic context so that national significance may be judged for a number of related properties.

Theme Studies that highlight Women's history:
The theme studies featured below, though not specifically about women, include women's contributions. The purpose of these studies is to provide comparative analysis of properties associated with a specific area of American history. The theme studies represented below demonstrate the diversity of American women and how they shaped their communities on a local and national scale.

View of tower overlooking Grand Canyon. CC0
National Historic Landmarks

Explore National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) and learn about historic properties that illustrate the heritage of the United States.

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Last updated: August 15, 2019

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