John Muir: The Genius Of The Gilded Age

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In order to quickly cease the notions of business and the populous of the newly formed Gilded Age, Teddy had multiple strategies. For one, he used his huge influence and publicity as President to deliver thought-provoking speeches on this issue, that rang the ears of many, allowing for news of this issue to spread. “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance,” (Roosevelt). This quote proves his moral persuasion, one of his most utilized tactics to give life to this problem. He hits home to many citizens…show more content…
Muir is known today for his foundings of multiple national forests and parks, and support for the creation of huge national parks such as Yosemite, and Sequoia. His yearning for nature started at a young age, but one major event in his life caused it. When he was about 29 years old, while working in a factory, a major accident caused temporary blindness for Muir. After this short span in time, Muir developed his love for nature and the environment. He started to explore by sailing and walking about North America, then through his writings, brought sight to the problems revolving around industrializing America and the environment. In one of his most renown books, “The Yosemite”, he writes "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike." (Yosemite, 1912). In writings such as this, he explains the necessity of humans to conserve nature and value it for the good of their soul. His main resolution for this problem came out of national parks and forests. His biggest aid to this issue came in 1892, when he founded the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is a still-active environmentalist movement followed by millions around the world today. Through this club, 250 Million acres of land have been preserved forever, and the legacy of Muir and this club continues to conserve land to this…show more content…
However, they do differ a little. The main difference between these two are simply the differences between conservation and preservation. In the eyes of John Muir, environmentalism was mainly about preserving. The Wilderness Act of 1964 states his point of view, saying “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man” (1964). Most notable in this quote is the description of a true “landscape” on Earth. It states that the only real parts of nature are the parts untouched by man. This was the key ideology of Muir. On the flipside is Roosevelt, and Conservation. Conservation, in environmentalism, is defined as: the controlled use of natural resources to preserve or protect them or to prevent waste. This was Teddy’s approach. By establishing designated places for admiring nature, and preventing it from destruction by the city and industrialization, the issue of environmentalism could be best approached. Although these two ideologies slightly differentiate the two reformers in the end they worked in the same time period, on the same projects, and for the same

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