ENVR 102 Lecture 3 From Thoreau to Muir and and the National Parks

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ENVR 102Lecture 3From Thoreau to Muir andand
the National Parks Forests

• Craig Callender
• Naomi Oreskes
• Winter 2008

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I went to the woods because I wished to live
deliberately
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Not exactly wilderness, only a couple of miles
from his family home
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More like an experiment in simple living

• Still, he lived without many creature comforts
• Ate very little meat
• Paid great attention to his surrounding,
  environment
• Focused his attention on the natural world,
  rather than affairs of men

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Extremely influentialWalden, or Life in Woods,
sold wellThoreau became famous. Paid off his
debts, earned reasonable living from writing
(essays, poetry)Survey in 1990, Walden most
commonly taught book in American literature
courses
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Idea of living deliberately went beyond living in
a hut and watching leaves fall
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1849 On Civil Disobedience

• Essay on responsibility of men to refuse to
  support unjust governance
• I HEARTILY ACCEPT the motto, "That government is
  best which governs least" and I should like to
  see it acted up to more rapidly and
  systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts
  to this, which also I believe, "That government
  is best which governs not at all
• A call for anarchy? some government necessary?

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Citizens have obligations

• Obligation not to support unjust acts or laws
• It is not a man's duty, as a matter of course, to
  devote himself to the eradication of any, even
  the most enormous wrong he may still properly
  have other concerns to engage him but it is his
  duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and, if
  he gives it no thought longer, not to give it
  practically his support.

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Passive resistance

• To refuse to support injustice or to obey an
  unjust law
• Therefore, refused to pay taxes to state of
  Massachusetts until slavery abolished ( and also
  in opposition to Mexican war)
• Called on all abolitionists to do same.

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Willingness to go to jail

• Under a government which imprisons any unjustly,
  the true place for a just man is also a prison
• Six years, refused to pay poll tax
• July 23 1846, arrested, served one night in jail.
• The night in prison was novel and interesting
  enough
• Released when someone paid (his aunt? Emerson?)
  the tax on his behalf.

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Also supported active resistanceBreaking law
when moral situation made it clearly right
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Thoreaus support of John BrownSpeech A Plea
for Captain John Brown (1859)

• John Brown, violent abolitionist who led raid on
  federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, with goal of
  arming slaves
• Advocated armed insurrection
• Tried for treason, hanged 1859
• Spark for civil war

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Most Americans horrified by Brown

• Even abolitionists, saw him as terrorist
• Lincoln called him a misguided fanatic
• But, Thoreaus support changed views of many
  abolitionists
• Browns death began a spark, viewed as helping to
  trigger Civil War
• Later became American hero, martyr

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On Civil Disobedience extensive and lasting
influence

• WWII quoted by Danish resistance to Nazi
  occupation
• India, 1940s Inspiration for on Mohandas Gandhi.
  Always carried copy in his luggage, read it in
  jail.
• USA, 1950s, Censored by Senator Joe McCarthy
  (removed from US Information Service Libraries)

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Inspiration to war resisters in 1960sYale
chaplain William Sloane Coffin (1967) quoted
Thoreau in supporting war resistanceI would
remind my countrymen that they are to be men
first, and Americans only at a late and
convenient hour.
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Most famously, Martin Luther King"I became
convinced that non-cooperation with evil is as
much a moral obligation as is cooperation with
good. No other person has been more eloquent and
passionate in getting this idea across than Henry
David Thoreau. As a result of his writings and
personal witness, we are the heirs of a legacy of
creative protest." - Martin Luther King, Jr,
Autobiography, Chapter 2
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What does environmentalism have to do with
abolitionism?Or resistance to unjust laws?
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Freedom

• A man who could live independently could also
  think independently
• A man who cherish his own personal liberty and
  autonomy should cherish that for his fellow men,
  too.

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Thoreaus fame tied to his identity as advocate
of liberty.
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Emphasis on liberty--gt Thoreau came to be
embraced as a uniquely American thinker, tied to
both American physical landscape and American
political landscape
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Memorial volume in 1946 (centenary of Thoreaus
time at Walden)

• American geniusat once truly American and at
  the same time a free lancean inspiration for
  courage and independence
• He presents as idealism and acceptance of a form
  of justice, a moral code, an ethical conduct,
  that bears the hue and tinge of Americanism the
  thought-form of the 19th century at its best.

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Paradox Cast as an American hero

• Independence, Freedom
• Love of liberty, Self-sufficiency
• Heroic Individualism
• But Hostile to many aspects of American life,
  commercialism, industry, materialism, and
  especially improvement.
• Support for John Brown would look today like
  support for terrorism.

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Other Paradoxes of Thoreaus life

• Amount of time at Walden was very short
• He did not actually live his life in wilds.
• He visited wild nature.
• Man as visitor idea with lasting resonance.
• Not an argument for living in nature, using
  nature for human ends.

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Wasnt all that keen on genuinely wild nature.
Found Katahdin desolate and frightening
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What Thoreau came to advocate was rather modest

• Every community should have a park, or rather a
  primitive forest, of five hundred or a thousand
  acres, where a stick should never be cut for
  fuel, a common possession forever, for
  instruction and recreation.
• Not nature for its own sake, but as a place for
  man to relax, recreate, and be instructed.

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Thoreau highly influential to later development
of environmentalism in USA

• Idea that preserving some wild nature is
  essential.
• That areas must be set aside to as preserves.
  Wilderness will disappear if we dont.
• But not so we can live in nature, but rather so
  we can visit it.
• In hindsight, not really at that radical.

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But it seemed radical at the time because of the
dominant ideology that civilization
improvementThat wilderness was bad, scary,
nasty, punishmentAnd, because of the
connection between independent living and
independent thinking
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Died of Tuberculosis in 1862, age of 44
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Eight years later, John Muir arrived in
California
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Who was John Muir?

• "Wilderness Prophet," "Citizen of the Universe.
• The most famous person in California History
  (including Levi Strauss)
• Founder of the Sierra Club
• Largely responsible for the creation of Yosemite
  National Park and for growth of National Parks
  movement
• Namesake of Muir College

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John Muir , a "poetico-trampo-geologist-botanist
and ornithologist-naturalist (1838-1914)

• Born in Scotland, aged 11 family immigrated to
  Wisconsin.
• Raised on farm, clearing forests and subduing
  wild nature
• Wanted to read, father finally allowed him to
  rise early, so he rose at 1 am
• Five whole hours! Five huge, solid hours!
• Like Thoreau, Inventor Early rising machine
  tipped the bed and dumped him out

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Muirs education

• Essentially no formal schooling, but admitted to
  Attended University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Took classes in zoology and botany
• Decided to learn from real lifeleft school in
  1863

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• Sent most of war years in Canada, worked as
  mechanic, took several wilderness trips
• Accident with machinery--lost sight in one eye,
  other went blind in sympathy
• (Another weird parallel Thoreau got sympathetic
  tetanus)
• When sight returned, determined to see the world.
  Walked from Kentucky to Florida.
• Wanted to continue to South America, got malaria,
  travelled to San Francisco instead

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Muirs early life

• Travels through America and observations of
  natural world had already created a vision of
  inter-relations among all living things.

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"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we
find it hitched to everything in the
universe.(Before science of ecology)
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Muirs later life

• 1868 Arrived San Francisco, ended up at Yosemite
• 1868-1871, traveled widely around state
• Fell in love with landscape, the nature, the
  geologyDrew it, and wrote about it
• 10 books and gt 300 articles---combined
  description of nature, scientific theories, and
  evocation of natural beauty and wonder

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Soon, highly influential

• Science and Nature developed theory of
  glaciation of Yosemite.
• Influenced Joseph LeConte, Berkeley Prof,
  President of AAAS in 1891
• Contributed to rise of recognition of role of
  glaciers in landscape, ice age, etc.

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But more broadly

• Conveying the beauty of California landscape, and
  need to protect from logging, farming, sheep
  herding, etc.
• Became advocate for protection and preservation
  of areas of great natural beauty.

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Muirs thought

• Preservation of nature both for spiritual
  advancement on humans and for protection of
  nature itself
• Like Thoreau and Emerson, believed connection
  with nature was connection with God.
• Man benefited from time in places of unique
  beauty, natural wonder

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What was happening at this time, in terms of
nature preservation?
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The Giant Sequoias and Yosemite Valley (1860s)

• Giant Sequoias being harvested
• Irony wood wasnt even very good.
• Some of harvesting just exhibitionism
• Stumps being sent around the world, or for follys

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The Preservation of the Giants

• 1864, Lincoln declared Mariposa Grove and
  Yosemite Valley a Protected State Reserve.
• But, only limited protection, lumbering and folly
  continuing

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1872 Establishment of Yellowstone National Park

• Inspired by work of geologist, Ferdinand Hayden,
  1871 Expedition (later USGS). Took painter,
  Thomas Moran.
• Recognition of unique natural features--geysers,
  mudpots, travertine terraces--Hayden promoted
  park idea.
• Not so much wilderness as natural curiosities.
  Tourists would come.
• Health benefits of hot springs

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1885 Adirondack State Park

• To protect state water supply
• gt 1 million trees/yr being cut down
• Affecting top soil, streams, lakes.

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Muirs vision for Yosemite

• A National park, fully protected.
• Not for practical. commercial or utilitarian
  needs (water supply, tourism)
• For wilderness.
• For contemplative recreation and rest.
• For connection with god and the universe.

Muirs sketch of Kings canyon
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Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no
repose like that of the green deep woods. Here
grow the wallflower and the violet. The squirrel
will come and sit upon your knee, the logcock
will wake you in the morning. Sleep in
forgetfulness of all ill. Of all the upness
accessible to mortals, there is no upness
comparable to the mountains. No synonym for God
is so perfect as Beauty. Whether as seen
carving the lines of the mountains with glaciers,
or gathering matter into stars, or planning the
movements of water, or gardening - still all is
Beauty! In God's wildness lies the hope of the
world - the great fresh, unblighted, unredeemed
wilderness. The galling harness of civilization
drops off, and wounds heal ere we are aware. -
John of the Mountains, (1938) page 317.
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Muir articles in Century advocating Yosemite
National Park

• 1890 Yosemite made a National Park,by Act of
  Congress, on Yellowstone model. However,
  Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley remain under
  State Control

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Muir and Teddy Roosevelt

• a great factor in influencing the thought .. of
  the entire country so as to secure the
  preservation of those great natural phenomena -
  wonderful canyons, giant trees, slopes of
  flower-spangled hillsides - which make California
  a veritable Garden of the Lord....

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Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

• Soldier, explorer, adventurer, hunter, fisherman,
  naturalist, and 26th President of USA
• Wrote 35 books on natural history, geography,
  outdoor life
• Believed in value of great outdoors for creating
  stamina, physical strength, in men.
• Worried about declining character of American men

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Turn of the century anxiety about character of
American people, American life

• Growth of cities
• Growth of urbanization
• Loss of farm population
• Growth of immigration, esp. from southern and
  eastern Europe --gt
• Widespread anxieties about character of American
  people.
• Later years--TR support eugenics movement,
• Immigration restrictions tied to 1890 census.

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For now, answer was National Parks and Forests

• Preservation of wild and open lands, when men
  could be men.
• Where they could hunt and fish
• Develop physical strength, stamina, courage,
  independence

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• 1903, Roosevelt visits Muir, tours Yosemite and
  Giant Sequoias with him.
• Muir convinces Roosevelt of need for much broader
  protection
• 1905, Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley
  incorporated into Yosemite National Park under
  federal control.

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1906 TR signs Antiquities Act protect national
cultural heritage through national
monumentsCreated 105 national monuments,
including the Grand Canyon (later Grand Canyon
National Park)
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National Game Reserves

• To preserve big game for hunting
• National Bison Game Preserve, Montana (1909)
• Today National Bison Range
• Mostly renamed as wildlife refuges

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The National Forest Service (1905)
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Organized as part of Department of Agriculture
under Gifford Pinchot
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Gifford Pinchot (1965-1946) (A very different
man than Muir)

• Born in Connecticut, patrician family. (v. Muir)
  
• Educated at Yale, then at Lecole Natural
  Forestiere, Nancy France
• (Long European history of scientifically managed,
  commercial forests, run by states and monarchs).
• Advocate of scientific forestry "the art of
  producing from the forest whatever it can yield
  for the service of man.
• Motto Wise use

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Pinchots accomplisments

• Strong support from Roosevelt, place for both
  nature preserves, like Yosemite, and rational
  management of larger forest resource.
• Under Pinchot, gt 1 million acres brought under
  federal management
• Later served two terms as Republican governor of
  Pennsylvania

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Pinchots philosophy

• Believed essential to protect forests against
  reckless exploitation by lumber companies.
• Believed role of government to protect common
  resource for common good
• Forests belonged to all.
• Science could enable wise use--through rational
  management, best of both worlds.

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Explicitly utilitarian

• Greatest good for greatest number
• Involved reconciling competing interests
• Preventing worst harms
• Making a financial profit through efficient and
  rational management, while preserving resource
  for future generations
• Strong sense of inter-generational equity

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Pinchot and Progressivism

• 1912, joined Roosevelt in Progressive Party
• (Split in Republican party, Roosevelt opposed
  Taft, lost.)
• Advocate of many progressive reforms
• Womens suffrage and minimum wage
• Prohibition of child labor
• Temperance and prohibition
• Workers right to unionize, strike, collective
  bargaining
• Unemployment Insurance
• Federal Income tax
• Clean government, no patronage

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Pinchot and Depression

• As Governor of Pennsylvania, strong advocate of
  need for government to intervene to help to
  people. State must act in face of suffering.
• Advocated "the principle of Theodore Roosevelt
  that it is the duty of a public servant to do
  whatever the public good requires unless it is
  directly forbidden by Law.
• Note political reversal recall Thoreau

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Pinchots criticized by both sides

• Pinchot incurred wrath of big business, and
  supporters in Republican party
• 1907, Act of Congress banning any further federal
  forest purchases in West
• 1908 Taft elected, fires Pinchot.
• Pinchot joins Progressive Party, only later
  reluctantly rejoins Republicans

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Criticized by Muir

• In 1890s had been friend and supporter of Muir
• Two saw themselves as working towards of common
  goal.
• Falling out over question of sheep grazing in
  forest preserves
• Muir broke with Pinchot, later debated him
  fiercely in various articles

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Muir/ Pinchot split Preservation v Conservation

• Muir preservation of natural lands, prohibtion
  on nearly all commercial development (mining,
  farming, grazing)
• Tied to religious and spiritual impulses
  (Thoreau, Emerson). Ineffable qualities
• Not irrational or anti-scientific, linked to
  science, but naturalist tradition
• Like Thoreau, somewhat anti-modernist, rejects
  idea that civilization progress or improvement.

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Muir/ Pinchot splitPreservation v Conservation

• Pinchot Conservation of natural lands,
  prohibtion on nearly all commercial development
  (mining, farming, grazing)
• More explicitly tied to modern science, ideals of
  rational management, efficiency (Taylorism,
  assembly lines)
• Progressive political ideologylinked to ideal of
  progress, more generally

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Presiding over both visions Teddy Roosevelt
saying we can have it all.
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"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.John Muir,
quoted by Bill Clinton, August 2004, on need for
roadless wilderness
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Can we have it all?

• Doesnt making bread force us to sacrifice
  beauty?
• To make omelettes, dont we have to break eggs?