In 1897, Charles Fletcher Lummis published The Land of Poco Tiempo, a book about his walk through the Southwest and of daily life in the West.  It was part culture history and part tourist guide.  In it he coined the phrase "See Europe if you must, but see America First." 

Through his editing of Out West Magazine and other endeavors, he sparked a movement of "See America First", encouraging people to be tourists in the Great American West. It worked and even sparked a conference in 1906. Thirteen states and British Columbia attended. 

Catch phrases work.  What catch phrase does your state Visitors Bureau use to get people to come visit?  Have your students develop a catch phrase to get people to visit your town or your state.  

On a US map, have students map out the sites suggested by Heber Wells in his "See America First" pamphlet.  Map out the 13 states that attended the 1906 Conference. 

What interesting places have advertisements encouraging See America First in these newspapers? 

Maps of California

Arizona map

What does this image suggest about the See America First initiative? 

https://www.loc.gov/item/2011649036/ 

For older students, have them research tourist booklets in the Library catalog.

What impact did this influx of tourism have on the Native Americans who lived on these lands? 

  Native American history  

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