Antiquities Act of 1906

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The Antiquities Act of 1906 is a U.S. federal law that authorizes presidents to swiftly protect significant natural, cultural, and historic sites by designating them as national monuments.


Statements (52)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
cultural heritage law
appliesTo federal lands
authorizes presidential designation of national monuments
codifiedIn Title 16 of the United States Code
constitutionalStatus upheld by federal courts
country United States of America
creates national monuments
dateEnacted 1906-06-08
enactedBy United States Congress
enforcedBy federal land management agencies
firstMajorUse proclamation establishing Devils Tower National Monument
firstMajorUseDate 1906-09-24
grantsPowerTo President of the United States
hasBeenChallengedIn United States federal courts
influenced Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
jurisdiction United States federal government
legalCitation 34 Stat. 225
limits size of national monuments to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected
mechanism presidential proclamation
policyArea environmental protection
historic preservation
public lands management
prohibits unauthorized damage to antiquities on federal lands
unauthorized excavation of antiquities on federal lands
unauthorized removal of antiquities on federal lands
purpose to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest
relatedTo Historic Sites Act of 1935
National Park Service Organic Act
requires permits for archaeological investigations on federal lands
shortName Antiquities Act
signedBy Theodore Roosevelt
subjectMatter archaeological resources
cultural resources
historic sites
scientific objects
title An Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities
USCodeSections 16 U.S.C. §§ 431–433 (original numbering)
usedBy Barack Obama
Bill Clinton
Donald Trump
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Franklin D. Roosevelt
George W. Bush
Jimmy Carter
Joe Biden
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson


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