Despit John Muir And The Conservation Movement
The conservation movement was a controversial topic nationwide. Some people supported it, while others thought it was absurd to take away natural resources that were necessary to live. Regardless, whether you supported the movement or not, it did effect you because of the substantial change it brought to the United States. The conservation movement was founded for a plethora of reasons in order to better the country. The conservation movement was founded because of the questions about who should control the nation’s animal, mineral and timber resources. The conservation movement meant many things to many people. First off, when they prohibited trespassing in large areas, such as Yosemite and Yellowstone, they deprived Indians and white settlers of wildlife, water, and firewood that they would usually get from these areas. Some people wanted to protect the natural resources around them. Others, however, wanted to utilize them.
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Despite the good things about the conservation movement, there were some downsides to it as well. For example, there were many conservation laws that imposed harsh limits on social and economic parts of the population. Firstly with conservation laws, cutting down trees on public land to build log cabins became known as timber theft. Then came the law stating that burning forests to clear land for agriculture would be considered arson. Lastly, hunting for meat became poaching. These laws made it more difficult for people to survive where they are accustomed. Many rural Americans rejected conservation laws because they cut off their access to natural resources that they believed were necessary to live. Not only did the laws create problems, but also the government officially protecting public lands negatively affected Native American. For instance, when the government restricted hunting and fishing from national forests, parks and monuments, Native Americans had to find a new way accommodate their needs. Also, commonly found throughout these forests and parks would be towns, thus meaning that the residents would be evicted from their homes and forced to find a new place to live.
Although conservation was overall meant to be beneficial to the United States, evidently there were some mistakes made. While trying to save and maintain the beautiful features across the nation, often times they would be unknowingly, and unintentionally, hurting the environment. For example, environmentalists tried to protect national forests from fires, thus the Arson law, little did they know, they were making forests more vulnerable to diseases, infestations and even fires as well. There was also the incident when they tried to control predators to ensure animal population for legal hunters. However, in trying to control predators, there was a large increase in deer population resulting in mass starvation. They attempted to protect bison by keeping them inside fences, which caused problems during winters by not letting them migrate to a better area.
John Muir emigrated with his family from Scotland to the United States in 1868.
Like any other immigrants, him and his family took any job offered to them, mostly farming or working in factories. It was the tragic event where Muir was nearly blinded in an accident at the factory he worked in that led him to the decision to live somewhere far away in the “wild,” he said. Therefore, sending him to Yosemite. Yosemite quickly became his home, and he knew he wanted to help protect it. Soon after moving to Yosemite, where he helped create its boundaries in 1889, John Muir took on an active role in the conservation movement. John Muir, a naturalist and co-founder, as well as the first president of the Sierra Club, led conservationist to pressure Congress to authorize President Harrison to create forest reserves. The Sierra Club, founded by Theodore Roosevelt, David Brower, and John Muir in 1892, is an environmental organization that was created to preserve parks in as pristine a quality as possible, and is still active in today’s
society.
John Muir had strict Christian beliefs that he was determined to keep. Thus pushing him to study The Book of Nature where he learned more about plants and animals, and soon after, his curiosity begun. Of course not everyone agreed with John Muir’s beliefs though. Disagreements arose quickly as Congress began creating more and more parks. At first, however, Congress did not provide funds to protect the parks that they had created, and Congress also lacked sensitivity for the park’s needs. In time though, the secretary of the interior wanted the government to increase the watch on national parks; consequently, cavalry soldiers were given to oversee the parks. People like John Muir wanted to preserve national parks, and people like Senator William A. Clark wanted to used that land for logging, mining, railroads, and tourism; thus resulting in major disagreements. There were plenty of people that believed the government should not be involved and there should not be laws regarding activities in national parks, and there were plenty of people that believed you should be able to use parks for recreational use and their own specific needs. Evidently, the government’s participation in the conservation movement became permanent. As a result, Congress created the National Park Service to conserve natural and historic territory but also to provide enjoyment for present and future generations.
Despite the good things about the conservation movement, there were some downsides to it as well. For example, there were many conservation laws that imposed harsh limits on social and economic parts of the population. Firstly with conservation laws, cutting down trees on public land to build log cabins became known as timber theft. Then came the law stating that burning forests to clear land for agriculture would be considered arson. Lastly, hunting for meat became poaching. These laws made it more difficult for people to survive where they are accustomed. Many rural Americans rejected conservation laws because they cut off their access to natural resources that they believed were necessary to live. Not only did the laws create problems, but also the government officially protecting public lands negatively affected Native American. For instance, when the government restricted hunting and fishing from national forests, parks and monuments, Native Americans had to find a new way accommodate their needs. Also, commonly found throughout these forests and parks would be towns, thus meaning that the residents would be evicted from their homes and forced to find a new place to live.
Although conservation was overall meant to be beneficial to the United States, evidently there were some mistakes made. While trying to save and maintain the beautiful features across the nation, often times they would be unknowingly, and unintentionally, hurting the environment. For example, environmentalists tried to protect national forests from fires, thus the Arson law, little did they know, they were making forests more vulnerable to diseases, infestations and even fires as well. There was also the incident when they tried to control predators to ensure animal population for legal hunters. However, in trying to control predators, there was a large increase in deer population resulting in mass starvation. They attempted to protect bison by keeping them inside fences, which caused problems during winters by not letting them migrate to a better area.
John Muir emigrated with his family from Scotland to the United States in 1868.
Like any other immigrants, him and his family took any job offered to them, mostly farming or working in factories. It was the tragic event where Muir was nearly blinded in an accident at the factory he worked in that led him to the decision to live somewhere far away in the “wild,” he said. Therefore, sending him to Yosemite. Yosemite quickly became his home, and he knew he wanted to help protect it. Soon after moving to Yosemite, where he helped create its boundaries in 1889, John Muir took on an active role in the conservation movement. John Muir, a naturalist and co-founder, as well as the first president of the Sierra Club, led conservationist to pressure Congress to authorize President Harrison to create forest reserves. The Sierra Club, founded by Theodore Roosevelt, David Brower, and John Muir in 1892, is an environmental organization that was created to preserve parks in as pristine a quality as possible, and is still active in today’s
society.
John Muir had strict Christian beliefs that he was determined to keep. Thus pushing him to study The Book of Nature where he learned more about plants and animals, and soon after, his curiosity begun. Of course not everyone agreed with John Muir’s beliefs though. Disagreements arose quickly as Congress began creating more and more parks. At first, however, Congress did not provide funds to protect the parks that they had created, and Congress also lacked sensitivity for the park’s needs. In time though, the secretary of the interior wanted the government to increase the watch on national parks; consequently, cavalry soldiers were given to oversee the parks. People like John Muir wanted to preserve national parks, and people like Senator William A. Clark wanted to used that land for logging, mining, railroads, and tourism; thus resulting in major disagreements. There were plenty of people that believed the government should not be involved and there should not be laws regarding activities in national parks, and there were plenty of people that believed you should be able to use parks for recreational use and their own specific needs. Evidently, the government’s participation in the conservation movement became permanent. As a result, Congress created the National Park Service to conserve natural and historic territory but also to provide enjoyment for present and future generations.