by Will De Man (’21)
We are delighted to share this post by Calvin History grad Will De Man (’21). Will, now a history teacher, launched @NationalParkHistory on Instagram, where he combines his love of history with his skills as a teacher to create short, engaging videos on the history of the parks. He built on that research to recently published his first book in a planned series on the history of National Parks. In announcing his book, Will also shared how his time at Calvin shaped and informed this project:
The typical spring break excursion involves beaches and margaritas. The goal is usually to get away from the cold Michigan spring and see the sun for more than three minutes at a time. In 2022, this was not the sort of spring break vacation my wife and I took. Rather than seek out someplace sandy and sunburn-prone, we went to Ohio. Specifically, we went to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This out-of-the-ordinary spring break was just the start of a series of trips throughout 2022, bringing us from Mammoth Cave to the Grand Canyon.
At each of the eleven national parks we visited, I wanted to know more about the history of the land. I wanted to know about the indigenous people who left eternalizing petroglyphs. I wanted to know what threats, logging, mining or otherwise, that had prompted the conservation movement in the region. I wanted to know who first advocated for these lands to be preserved and what the process had been like.
On April 22, 2023, I self-published my book, A Short History of the National Parks: The Southeast. I wrote this book because I needed my questions answered. I wrote it because I thought that others might also be interested in the history of our most visible public lands, the lands that so many people dearly love.
There is a direct connection between my ability to write this book and my education in the history department at Calvin University. There were many technical skills involved that I gained through my research methods course and through practice writing in all my courses. Because of the rigor of my coursework, I felt confident that I could locate strong primary and secondary sources and cite them correctly. Through the example of professors and peers, I understood how to weave a historical narrative in an engaging and enlightening way.
There were many times throughout the research and writing process when I thought specifically about a handful of my professors. When I read archeological reports about the Miami Circle in Biscayne Bay, I had memories of my time with Professor Rohl. As I delved into the indigenous past of Shenandoah National Park, I relied on what I’d learned from Professor Cunigan in my Early American History course. And of course, everytime I cracked open my Chicago Manual of Style to write a citation, Professor Howard’s face popped into my head.
More than the technical tools, the staff in the history department helped me develop the soft-skills needed to actually create a work of history. They demonstrated the curiosity necessary to dive into a semi-obscure topic, the rigor to explore all facets of historical subject, and the care to elevate marginalized voices. I am grateful to everyone who works in the department, whether I took a class from them or not, for being examples of exemplary historical scholarship and inspiring me to create the best work of history I could.
I will always be thankful for the time I spent in the history department at Calvin. I think about the upper wing of Hiemenga Hall often.
Will De Man graduated with degrees in History, Classical Studies and Secondary Education in 2021. He currently teaches history in West Michigan. You can find more from him about the history of the national parks on Instagram @nationalparkhistory.
Historical Horizons 