On March 3, 1849, Congress created the U.S. Department of the Interior. The department was designed to manage internal affairs, including public lands, Native American relations, and natural resources. Early on, its responsibilities were broad and sometimes loosely defined. Over time, the Interior Department came to oversee national parks, wildlife refuges, and resource management. It has played a central role in debates about land use, conservation, and energy development. The department’s creation signaled the federal government’s growing involvement in the everyday physical and environmental landscape of the country.
