History of Recreation

  • Puritans Settle in America

    • escaping religious persecution
    • play was frowned on as evil
    • hard-work valued success and place in heaven
  • Strong Work Ethic Becomes Most Valued

    • strong work ethic becomes the foundation of American culture when Puritans settle in America
  • 1st Municipal Park Developed

    The Boston Common
  • Industrial Revolution Starts in America

    • urbanization (rural to urban centers; population rose rapidly)
    • eventual unionization resulted in child labor laws
    • lack of free public education led children to have abundance of unstructured free time
  • Central Park Creation

    Fredrick Law Olmsted designs Central Park in New York City
  • First National Park Developed

    Yellowstone
  • Joseph "Father of the Playground Movement" Lee

    • first saw boys get arrested for playing and began career as recreation advocate -helped survey play opportunities available in Boston
  • Boston Sand Garden

    this is the first time volunteers and paid staff oversee children and their play in a recreation setting
  • Hull House of Chicago Established

    Jane Addams created the Hull House of Chicago where immigrants could assimilate to American society
  • National Park Service

    National Park Service is created in 1956
  • America Joins World War I

  • Great Depression Begins

    • Great Depression occurred due to the stock market crash; which in turn led to mass unemployment and resulting idleness stimulated national concern about leisure
  • New Deal's Impact on Recreation

    Due to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, millions are employed, many of whom build thousands of recreation facilities.
  • America Joins World War II

    • after World War II, the birth of therapeutic recreation occurs due to injuries from the war
    • concern for youth fitness arises, which presents a national security risk and the implementation of President's Council on Youth Fitness/Physical Fitness and Sports
  • Therapeutic Recreation Born

    • therapeutic recreation is born as a distinct discipline largely due to its provision in government sponsored Department of Veteran Affairs hospitals following WWII
  • President’s Council on Youth Fitness/Physical Fitness and Sport

    president's council on youth fitness/physical fitness and sport created due to concern for youth fitness and sedentary lifestyles
  • 1970s Recession Begins

    • 1973 oil crisis leads to inflation, rising costs of welfare, and crime rates increasing
  • Approach Change

    • continual spending from the gov't over prior decades led the tax base to be fed up and Parks/Rec created market/entrepreneurial approach