In the midst of the sorrows of the great depression American citizens were trying to find inexpensive ways to attain joy and excitement. One alternative for families was to begin exploring the historical areas around them which often times hid many new mysteries waiting to be discovered. An obvious area to explore was Saint Augustine, a city located near central Florida which is renowned for being the first European settled city in America. In 1937 Eleanor Beeson wrote an article for the Florida Historic Society discussing the need to restore the historical features of Saint Augustine to its once prominent glory.
At the date of the articles publication in 1937, St Augustine’s historical prominence as a Spanish coastal city was lost under the …show more content…
Americans from Beeson’s perspective would not only attain a tourist attraction from a newly historically renovated Saint Augustine, but they would also receive a firsthand educational glimpse into the past which would expand their modern outlook. Beeson did not back up her claims with scientific evidence proving why a restoration would beneficial to the population, but she did an excellent job of addressing the how the human character would benefit from a historical restoration. Though the article is well written even by today’s standards the exclusion of scientific evidence explaining how the local ecosystem or human mind would improve as the result of a restoration leaves doubters with numerous areas of questioning. Regardless of dating in some areas the article still maintains a breath of relevance throughout its argument as there was never any use of derogatory or stereotypical language when discussing the Native Indian landmarks involved in the restoration and archeological digs. The inclusion of Native landmarks in the restoration and the exclusion of derogatory language lends a breadth of credibility to Beeson as it denounces certain critics who would profess that the restoration project would only glorify the history of Anglo Saxon European males who were considered superior at the
At the date of the articles publication in 1937, St Augustine’s historical prominence as a Spanish coastal city was lost under the …show more content…
Americans from Beeson’s perspective would not only attain a tourist attraction from a newly historically renovated Saint Augustine, but they would also receive a firsthand educational glimpse into the past which would expand their modern outlook. Beeson did not back up her claims with scientific evidence proving why a restoration would beneficial to the population, but she did an excellent job of addressing the how the human character would benefit from a historical restoration. Though the article is well written even by today’s standards the exclusion of scientific evidence explaining how the local ecosystem or human mind would improve as the result of a restoration leaves doubters with numerous areas of questioning. Regardless of dating in some areas the article still maintains a breath of relevance throughout its argument as there was never any use of derogatory or stereotypical language when discussing the Native Indian landmarks involved in the restoration and archeological digs. The inclusion of Native landmarks in the restoration and the exclusion of derogatory language lends a breadth of credibility to Beeson as it denounces certain critics who would profess that the restoration project would only glorify the history of Anglo Saxon European males who were considered superior at the