Position Paper 2 - Interest Group or Issue

 The National Trust for Historic Preservation

Many people wonder why it is vital to study history. After all, "it's all in the past, right?" There are many brutal moments in America's history that people would rather forget. Why should we continue to look back when the only thing we should focus on is the future? This way of thinking may seem logical, but it is actually dangerous. In fact, the only way to focus on the future is to look back at the past. After all, making mistakes is how we learn, and we cannot risk those mistakes being buried just so we can make them again. Furthermore, it is just as important to understand the developments of our country and to see firsthand what events and people have led us to where we are today. 

Preserving history and encouraging fascination with the past is how we save the future. "Save the past, enrich the future." This is the exact mission of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The National Trust is an interest group encouraging individuals to "help tell lawmakers and decision makers that our nation's heritage matters." According to its website: 

"The National Trust frequently turns to grassroots supporters to help effect change at the local, state, and federal level. This includes advocating for preservation funding, saving historic places, and influencing key legislation that protects our country's heritage. From speaking up for Historic Tax Credits to advocating locally for places in your community, join us in protecting places that tell the story of America!"

 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has advocated for preserving historical landmarks for seventy-three years. Along with saving these important places, they aim to share the full story of our country's history and build stronger communities. The National Trust takes action through funding and focusing on the history of certain people groups and all American citizens. For example, The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund protects the places that "represent centuries of African American activism, achievement, and resilience." So far, the African American Cultural Heritage has funded eighty million dollars to save over 200 preservation projects. The Trust also advocates for women's history and funds the protection of sacred places. These funds help preserve the tens of thousands of places of worship across our country that have served communities for generations. According to the Trust, 

"Historic houses of worship, from prairie churches to urban synagogues, are the bedrocks that continue to sustain us as a people, uniting us in service and celebration. Together, we can protect them for generations to come."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has preserved twenty-seven sights open to the public. These places include houses, museums, schools, and even a city in New Mexico constructed in the year 1150. The Trust also lists eleven of the most endangered historic places. Individuals can also explore more of these places through their website. 

The National Trust has put much time, effort, years, support, and more into protecting the places that have shaped America into what it is today; however, how does the National Trust for Historic Preservation promote funding and help from high-level officials? One way is through historic tax credits. "Historic Tax Credit projects increase property values, draw new businesses, attract new residents, and enlarge the tax base." 

The Trust uses social media to promote the National Trust, gain donors and supporters for the Historic Tax Credit, and raise awareness for preservation. 

On Facebook, the National Trust Posted a story about an 18th-century schoolhouse rediscovered in 2020. The Bray School in Williamsburg was an institution for free and enslaved black children. Their teacher, a white woman, named Ann Wager, taught children between the ages of three to ten-years-old. An estimated three to four hundred children learned within the institution's walls. The schoolhouse was thought to be lost forever, along with its history. Still, once making the discovery, historians create new discoveries regarding the historic landmark, including the students who learned there and finding their descendants. 

The Trust's Instagram, @savingplaces, posted a video depicting the "six essential reasons to save old places." Through this video, viewers can learn about the importance of preservation and sharing those crucial reasons with others. This video is one of many about raising awareness about preservation and how history reshapes the future. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The US National Trust (@savingplaces)

On Twitter, the Trust posted a photo of Birch Lodge, located on Trout Lake in Michigan. The lodge was refurbished and preserved thanks to the Historic Tax Credit. 

Birch Lodge on the shores of #Michigan’s Trout Lake served as a summer resort for nearly 75 years before closing in 1985. Thanks in part to funding from the Federal #HistoricTaxCredit, the lodge has been renovated & is open once again.
Learn more: https://t.co/TfCelzAclG#HTC

— Saving Places (@SavingPlaces) October 21, 2022

The National Trust also raises awareness through its magazine and newsletter. According to its website: 

"Preservation is the magazine for people who love historic places. Each issue spotlights sites that have shaped the American identity, and the people working tirelessly to protect them."

Preservation advertises the Trust and its projects. The magazine itself is advertised on the Trust's website and social media.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an interest group that cares for the future by focusing on the past. Safeguarding the future includes staying fascinated through researching, learning, respecting, and judging our country's history. Looking toward the past gives us a window into the future, and we can only receive a clear view of the past by preserving it.