--- title: Bison Is U.S. National Animal: See Majestic Historic Photos description: The President has signed a law naming bison the country's first national mammal—but they've been a fixture of the American scene for centuries canonical: https://time.com/4312224/bison-national-mammal-photos/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-05-09T19:06:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:46:38.304Z article:section: History og:title: Bison Is U.S. National Animal: See Majestic Historic Photos og:description: For centuries, the bison has been a fixture of the American scene og:url: https://time.com/4312224/bison-national-mammal-photos/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte0e7dd6123dba521/69889131a988ca883c6b7a66/160428-american-bison-07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: An American bison, circa 1930 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bison Is U.S. National Animal: See Majestic Historic Photos twitter:description: For centuries, the bison has been a fixture of the American scene twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte0e7dd6123dba521/69889131a988ca883c6b7a66/160428-american-bison-07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See Majestic Historical Photos of the U.S.’s New National Mammal > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) May 9, 2016 7:06 PM UTC  An American bison, circa 1930. An American bison, circa 1930. Hulton Archive—Getty Images by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) May 9, 2016 7:06 PM UTC The President [signed](https://www.doi.gov/blog/15-facts-about-our-national-mammal-american-bison) the National Bison Legacy Act into law on Monday, making bison the country’s first national mammal. The animal is already a state symbol of Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming, and appears on the Wyo. and Kan. state flags. [_Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter_](http://time.com/newsletter) The law is the culmination of a four-year push by a coalition of more than 60 organizations, businesses, Native American tribes and wildlife advocates who hope that the recognition will help preserve the species in the future — [despite bison almost going extinct at the turn of the 20th century](http://ti.me/1QDh4T3). Experts believe the number of bison dropped from roughly 30 million bison in the 16th century to less than 1,000 by the late 19th century, due to a combination of environmental problems and economic demand for their hides, which drove overhunting. A national effort to reverse trend helped ferry the remaining ones to protected areas, and by the mid-20th century, the species had started to make a comeback. **MORE:** [Jared Leto: The Bison’s Comeback Is an American Epic](http://time.com/4317766/jared-leto-wwf-bison/) While roaming through this gallery of bison roaming, keep in mind that these are technically bison not buffalo—though Americans tend to use the terms interchangeably—because they have shorter horns and shoulder humps.  Lithograph of an American Indian on horseback killing a bison. Circa 1850-1860. Library of Congress  Stereoscopic view of a Bison. Circa 1875. From the New York Public Library  A postcard illustrating Bison at water. Circa 1898-1931. From the New York Public Library  Herd of American Bison, browsing in safety, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Circa 1895-1920. From the New York Public Library  American bison, circa 1906. Library of Congress  Bison in the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Circa 1907. Library of Congress  An American bison, circa 1930. Hulton Archive—Getty Images  A herd of bison migrating south from Yukon. Circa 1930. Fox Photos—Getty Images  Bison herd in Arizona. 1935. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone—Getty Images  On a ranch in southern Michigan; there are several hundred wild bison snorting and pawing the ground and ready to toss all intruders. 1945. Toronto Star Archives—Getty Images  A North American Bison, circa 1950s. Paul Popper—Popperfoto/Getty Images  Bison in the Witchita Mountains wildlife refuge. 1952. Bettman—Getty Images  Bison crowded together in a corner of one of their enclosures at Daniels Park. Ira Gay Sealy—The Denver Post/Getty Images  Well into his 20s, this white bull is one of the most photographed animals on the bison range at Moiese, Montana. 1957. The Denver Post—Getty Images  Herd of bison roaming across National Bison Range in Montana. 1961. 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