A great man once said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”[1] This statement epitomizes who John Muir was as a man, as well as, his profound words and thoughts. Muir was a “renowned naturalist, explorer, writer, and conservationist, John Muir is considered a forefather of the modern environmental movement.”[2] All of Muir’s achievements couldn’t possibly be captured in this paper, however we are very fortunate that history has captured the great things he accomplished during his time on this Earth. Muir was willing to fight for a greater cause. This is why his legacy will live forever. John Muir’s passion for nature, his gift for writing and his contributions to the conservation and preservation of the American wilderness became an essential building block in the national movement in the creation of our national parks thereby giving the responsibility to preserve the environment to every American. These qualities help to build the foundation for future generations to take an active role in caring for our environment.
John Muir was born April 21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland. Muir and his family immigrated to the United States when he was 11 years old. They found their new home in the state of Wisconsin. His parents were Daniel Muir and the former Ann Gilrye. Daniel and Ann Muir had eight children from their marriage. The Muir siblings consisted of three boys and five girls. They were Margaret, Sarah, David, Daniel, Ann, Mary and Joanna. John was the third oldest and the first son born to Daniel and Ann Muir. The elder Muir was a minister in the Presbyterian faith and he was a very religious and stern man. One of the things his father required of him was to memorize the Bible. Being the obedient son that he was, John was able to memorize and recite three-quarters of the Old Testament by heart, and all of the New Testament. There was another side to John than just the bible. He was adventurous and enjoyed the outdoors. He enjoyed the peacefulness and tranquility that it provided. Muir found his true peace in the place in which they had recently settled. Author Amy Leinbach Marquis stated the following about Muir, “It was in this pastoral wilderness—its open skies, frozen meadows, and thousands of migrating birds—that Muir found his own religion.”[3]
Muir’s passion for nature was the fuel that drove him to be the man that he became. In her writings about Muir, author Amy Leinbach Marquis was quoted as saying, “Muir began his love affair with nature at a young age. But his father believed that anything that distracted from Bible studies was frivolous and punishable. Muir’s restless spirit made him especially prone to lashings.”[4] Muir believed that the passion for nature was an undeveloped area of a person’s being. Author Donald Worster was quoted as saying, “Muir was right in assuming that the human passions, including the passion for nature, are among the least culturally constructed parts of our minds…”[5] The natural self and the human passions are developed by the environments in which we live. As a young boy Muir was inspired in writing, “Nature streaming into us, wooingly teaching her wonderful glowing lessons, so unlike the dismal grammar ashes and cinders so longed thrashed into us.”[6] “Oh, that glorious Wisconsin wilderness! Everything new and pure in the very prime of the spring when Nature’s pulses were beating highest and mysteriously keeping time with our own!”[7] The beauty that Muir witnessed in Wisconsin made an indelible impression on him. He also states, “A passion for nature can still draw people together across lines of race, class, and gender.”[8]
Muir was wise far beyond his years. He had a passion for learning and creating things. As a young boy some of the things he created were truly amazing. He invented “a horse feeder, a table saw, a wooden thermometer and a device that pushed the youngster out of bed in the early morning.”[9] Muir was able to display his inventions at the 1860 Wisconsin state fair, where he received several accolades. His talents as an inventor would have enabled him to make that his career, however, this was not his true calling. Early in 1861, Muir enrolled into the University of Wisconsin where he studied natural sciences. While there he received good grades, but left after only three years. Muir had desire to study nature instead of text books. It was not an easy thing to leave the University of Wisconsin. Upon leaving Muir stated, “From the top of a hill on the north side of Lake Mendota I gained a last wistful, lingering view of the beautiful university grounds and buildings where I had spent so many hungry and happy and hopeful days. There with streaming eyes I bade my blessed Alma Mater farewell. But I was only leaving one university for another, the Wisconsin University for the University of the Wilderness.”[10]
Muir starts the journey of a lifetime. After leaving school he began studying botany and took odd jobs to support himself. In March of 1867, while working at a factory Muir was temporarily blinded due to an accident, fortunately in April of 1867 he regained his sight. This was a life changing experience for him. From this point forward Muir devotes his life to the study of nature. In September of 1867, Muir decided to take a thousand-mile walk to the Gulf of Mexico. “In have already had glorious glimpses of the Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Indians and Canada wildernesses; now I propose to go south and see something of the vegetation of the warm endo of the country, and if possible wander far enough into South America to see tropical vegetation in all its palmy glory.”[11] While traveling to the Gulf, Muir contracted malaria. Once he arrived at Cedar Keys, Florida he had a desire to travel to Cuba. As strange as it may sound Muir ended up in California by way of Cuba.
This journey would be one of many he would take in his lifetime. “His journeys carried him to Russia, Siberia, Africa, Australia, South America, and other remote regions little visited by the ordinary traveler…It was inevitable that after reaching California Muir should be drawn by an irresistible attraction to the Sierra Nevada.”[12] The Sierra Nevada and Yosemite made an indubitable impression on Muir. After his first summer there he wrote in his journal about its beauty. His affection for the Sierra Nevada was described in his own words, “…surely the brightest and best of all the Lord has built; and rejoicing in its glory, I gladly, gratefully, hopefully pray I may see it again.”[13] “It seemed to me the Sierra should be called not the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light…it still seems to me above all others the Range of Light, the most divinely beautiful of all the mountains-chains I have ever seen.”[14] Muir truly loved the Sierra Nevada, so much so, that he began writing a series of articles about it called “Studies in the Sierra”. These writing launched his writing career.
Muir was recognized an esteemed writer and was probably the most celebrated nature writer of his time. His words encouraged the nation to appreciate nature and all its beauty. He was well known for the journals he kept as he traveled from place to place. He was an eloquent writer, his words were filled with passion and emotion. He wrote these vibrant words about the storms of the Sierra, “It was easy to see that only a small part of the rain reached the ground in the form of drops. Most of it was thrashed into dusty spray, like that into which small waterfalls are divided when they dash on shelving rocks. Never have I seen water coming from the sky in denser or more passionate streams…Here I was glad to linger, gazing and listening, while the storm was in its richest mood—the gray rain-flood above, the brown river-flood beneath.”[15] This was just one illustration of Muir’s writing ability.
In Muir’s lifetime he published numerous articles and books about his travel, as well as, his beliefs as a naturalist. “The great public service of John Muir was leading the nation through his writings to appreciate the grandeur of our mountains and the beauty and variety of their plant and animal life, and the consequent necessity for holding forever as a heritage for all the people the most precious of these great scenic areas.”[16] He wanted each person to see the beauty of nature. It made no difference to him, one’s social, economic or political status. He delivered a passionate message about nature and the world was his audience. His writings appeared to move people, as though they had some type of mystical power.
More than anything Muir was known for conservationist views and his efforts to protect the wilderness. Beginning with his childhood, Muir had a yearning for nature. He believed, “…every creature has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every form of life, like every group of people, is equal in the eyes of the Creator; indeed, all species are in some sense “people”—on this long walk…”[17] As he became a seasoned man he developed a deeper respect and connection with nature. “Muir felt a spiritual connection to nature; he believed that mankind is just one part of an interconnected natural world, not its master, and that God is revealed through nature.”[18]
Muir understood the oneness of all living things. In many of his writings he used God, nature and beauty interchangeable. He defined himself thus, “walking with Nature on the sheeted plain, along the broidered foothills of the great Sierra Nevada, and up in the higher piney, balsam-scented forests of the cool mountains. In these walks there has been no human method—no law—not rule.”[19] When he was outside enjoying nature time was not a thought to him. He enjoyed wandering into the free-spirted mountains, rivers and valleys. It wasn’t for the sport of it, but to continue to connect the relationship between man and nature.
He wrote articles and books calling attention to the abuse and destruction of this untrammeled wilderness for the sake of progress. The renowned wilderness photographer Galen Rowell once asked the question to Reinhold Messner, who is a well-known Italian mountaineer. The question he asked dealt with the Alps one of the most famous mountains in the world had succumb to progress. Meaning it had hotels, railways and cities in its vicinity, but in the United States it was not so. Messner answered the question by saying Muir was the difference. In his academic journal, John Muir As Deep Ecologist, author Bill Devall wrote, “Muir was one of those naturalists who, as Raymond Dasmann pointed out, “were responsible for the creation of the system of protected areas in the United States... to establish buffers against the greed and rapacity of their fellow citizens. In the 1850's Thoreau had proclaimed the necessity for protecting at least some areas in which nature could remain intact against the destructive forces of civilization.”[20]
Muir’s passion for nature and wilderness began to produce fruit. In 1890, due largely to Muir’s effort Congress passed an act creating Yosemite National Park. Muir created the Sierra Club in 1892. Its purpose was to protect the newly created Yosemite National Park from cattlemen and others would attempt to lessen the park’s borders. He is also credited for the creation of the following national parks: Sequoia, Mount Rainer, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon. By the early 1900s, Muir’s writings had gotten the ultimate exposure, they had come to the attention of then President Theodore Roosevelt. Muir’s work persuaded President Roosevelt so much that the president took a three night camping trip with Muir. The time with Muir influenced President Roosevelt’s conservationist policies greatly. Muir was always the protector of nature and the wilderness. He and the newly created Sierra Club waged many battles to protect the Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. The last and probably most dramatic battle was their fight against the construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. It was a situation in which one side wanted to protect the sensitive balance of nature and the other side wanted to push for a much needed water reservoir. In 1913, Muir and the Sierra Club lost the battle, due in part to because of progress. The Hetch Hetchy Valley became a reservoir to provide a water supply for the growing city of San Francisco. After this defeat Muir seemed to just slip away in the sunset. The latter part of Muir’s life was spent mainly with his travel, his avid passion for writing and managing the Sierra Club.
Muir had a life that was full of accomplishments. This nation is indebted to him for the creation of the National Park System, his vigilance in protecting our forest and wilderness, working with President Roosevelt and Congress to create environmental legislation that’s noteworthy even today. His passion for nature was second to none. His gift for writing continues to educate and enlighten us even today. We as a nation have benefited greatly from his contributions to the conservation and preservation of the American wilderness. Because of this accomplishments this nation was able to create the National Parks System.
He was possibly the most celebrated and influential naturalist and conservationist of our time. He gave people a reason for wanting to protect our environment. Through a pen he was able to increase our awareness of nature. John Muir’s impact on society is still being understood. He viewed nature as not just an environment that provided materials for the human race. Nor did he look at the human race being the owners of the materials in this environment. He saw it as a harmonious union between nature and man. One in which every living thing had its own distinct right and place. No one species could take the place of the other. To Muir everything was as one, everything was complete, there were not parts that were not complete.
John Muir fought a good fight and had always been true to nature and himself. He could look back on his life’s work with no regrets. On December 24, 1914, John Muir died of pneumonia at the age of 76 years old in a hospital in Los Angeles, California. Over those 76 years, Muir gave so much to the cause of protecting and preserving nature. In his memory the state of California chose to put him on their state quarter. It shows Muir looking off into the distant beholding the beauty of the Yosemite Valley, while a California condor is flying in the scene. To celebrate its 100th anniversary the National Park Service will feature John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt on a $5.00 gold coin. The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916. Muir was fondly known as the “Father of our National Park System”.
[1] Brainy Quote. “John Muir Quotes,” Brainy Quote, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnmuir107171.html (accessed January 15, 2016)
[2] University of the Pacific, University Library. “John Muir Papers,” University of the Pacific http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/John-Muir-Papers.html (accessed January 15, 2016)
[3] Amy Leinbach Marquis, “A Mountain Calling: National Park and Conservation Association,” National Parks Conservation Association, http://www.webcitation.org/5yV7qVp6y (accessed January 17, 2016)
[4] Amy Leinbach Marquis, “A Mountain Calling: National Park and Conservation Association,” National Parks Conservation Association, http://www.webcitation.org/5yV7qVp6y (accessed January 17, 2016)
[5] Donald Worster, “John Muir and the Modern Passion for Nature”. Environmental History 10 (1). [Forest History Society, Forest History Society and The American Society for Environmental History, American Society for Environmental History, Oxford University Press]: 8–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985830 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[6] William Frederic Badè, The Life and Letters of John Muir: Volume I. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923), p. 39.
[7] Ibid., 39-40
[8] Donald Worster, “John Muir and the Modern Passion for Nature”. Environmental History 10 (1). [Forest History Society, Forest History Society and The American Society for Environmental History, American Society for Environmental History, Oxford University Press]: 8–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985830 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[9] Biography.com, “John Muir Biography,” Biography.com http://www.biography.com/people/john-muir-9417625 (accessed January 17, 2016)
[10] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 105. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[11] William Frederic Badè, The Life and Letters of John Muir: Volume I. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923), p. 156.
[12] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 105. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[13] William Frederic Badè, The Life and Letters of John Muir: Volume I. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923), p. 201
[14] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 106. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[15] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 106-107. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[16] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 108. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[17] Donald Worster, “John Muir and the Modern Passion for Nature”. Environmental History 10 (1). [Forest History Society, Forest History Society and The American Society for Environmental History, American Society for Environmental History, Oxford University Press]: 8–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985830 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[18] Public Broadcasting Service.org, “The National Parks: John Muir,” http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/historical/muir/ (accessed February 27, 2016)
[19] Donald Worster, “John Muir and the Modern Passion for Nature”. Environmental History 10 (1). [Forest History Society, Forest History Society and The American Society for Environmental History, American Society for Environmental History, Oxford University Press]: 8–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985830 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[20] Bill Devall, “John Muir as Deep Ecologist”. Environmental Review: ER 6 (1). [Oxford University Press, American Society for Environmental History, Forest History Society, Forest History Society and The American Society for Environmental History]: 64. doi:10.2307/3984050. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3984050 (accessed February 10, 2016).
John Muir was born April 21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland. Muir and his family immigrated to the United States when he was 11 years old. They found their new home in the state of Wisconsin. His parents were Daniel Muir and the former Ann Gilrye. Daniel and Ann Muir had eight children from their marriage. The Muir siblings consisted of three boys and five girls. They were Margaret, Sarah, David, Daniel, Ann, Mary and Joanna. John was the third oldest and the first son born to Daniel and Ann Muir. The elder Muir was a minister in the Presbyterian faith and he was a very religious and stern man. One of the things his father required of him was to memorize the Bible. Being the obedient son that he was, John was able to memorize and recite three-quarters of the Old Testament by heart, and all of the New Testament. There was another side to John than just the bible. He was adventurous and enjoyed the outdoors. He enjoyed the peacefulness and tranquility that it provided. Muir found his true peace in the place in which they had recently settled. Author Amy Leinbach Marquis stated the following about Muir, “It was in this pastoral wilderness—its open skies, frozen meadows, and thousands of migrating birds—that Muir found his own religion.”[3]
Muir’s passion for nature was the fuel that drove him to be the man that he became. In her writings about Muir, author Amy Leinbach Marquis was quoted as saying, “Muir began his love affair with nature at a young age. But his father believed that anything that distracted from Bible studies was frivolous and punishable. Muir’s restless spirit made him especially prone to lashings.”[4] Muir believed that the passion for nature was an undeveloped area of a person’s being. Author Donald Worster was quoted as saying, “Muir was right in assuming that the human passions, including the passion for nature, are among the least culturally constructed parts of our minds…”[5] The natural self and the human passions are developed by the environments in which we live. As a young boy Muir was inspired in writing, “Nature streaming into us, wooingly teaching her wonderful glowing lessons, so unlike the dismal grammar ashes and cinders so longed thrashed into us.”[6] “Oh, that glorious Wisconsin wilderness! Everything new and pure in the very prime of the spring when Nature’s pulses were beating highest and mysteriously keeping time with our own!”[7] The beauty that Muir witnessed in Wisconsin made an indelible impression on him. He also states, “A passion for nature can still draw people together across lines of race, class, and gender.”[8]
Muir was wise far beyond his years. He had a passion for learning and creating things. As a young boy some of the things he created were truly amazing. He invented “a horse feeder, a table saw, a wooden thermometer and a device that pushed the youngster out of bed in the early morning.”[9] Muir was able to display his inventions at the 1860 Wisconsin state fair, where he received several accolades. His talents as an inventor would have enabled him to make that his career, however, this was not his true calling. Early in 1861, Muir enrolled into the University of Wisconsin where he studied natural sciences. While there he received good grades, but left after only three years. Muir had desire to study nature instead of text books. It was not an easy thing to leave the University of Wisconsin. Upon leaving Muir stated, “From the top of a hill on the north side of Lake Mendota I gained a last wistful, lingering view of the beautiful university grounds and buildings where I had spent so many hungry and happy and hopeful days. There with streaming eyes I bade my blessed Alma Mater farewell. But I was only leaving one university for another, the Wisconsin University for the University of the Wilderness.”[10]
Muir starts the journey of a lifetime. After leaving school he began studying botany and took odd jobs to support himself. In March of 1867, while working at a factory Muir was temporarily blinded due to an accident, fortunately in April of 1867 he regained his sight. This was a life changing experience for him. From this point forward Muir devotes his life to the study of nature. In September of 1867, Muir decided to take a thousand-mile walk to the Gulf of Mexico. “In have already had glorious glimpses of the Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Indians and Canada wildernesses; now I propose to go south and see something of the vegetation of the warm endo of the country, and if possible wander far enough into South America to see tropical vegetation in all its palmy glory.”[11] While traveling to the Gulf, Muir contracted malaria. Once he arrived at Cedar Keys, Florida he had a desire to travel to Cuba. As strange as it may sound Muir ended up in California by way of Cuba.
This journey would be one of many he would take in his lifetime. “His journeys carried him to Russia, Siberia, Africa, Australia, South America, and other remote regions little visited by the ordinary traveler…It was inevitable that after reaching California Muir should be drawn by an irresistible attraction to the Sierra Nevada.”[12] The Sierra Nevada and Yosemite made an indubitable impression on Muir. After his first summer there he wrote in his journal about its beauty. His affection for the Sierra Nevada was described in his own words, “…surely the brightest and best of all the Lord has built; and rejoicing in its glory, I gladly, gratefully, hopefully pray I may see it again.”[13] “It seemed to me the Sierra should be called not the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light…it still seems to me above all others the Range of Light, the most divinely beautiful of all the mountains-chains I have ever seen.”[14] Muir truly loved the Sierra Nevada, so much so, that he began writing a series of articles about it called “Studies in the Sierra”. These writing launched his writing career.
Muir was recognized an esteemed writer and was probably the most celebrated nature writer of his time. His words encouraged the nation to appreciate nature and all its beauty. He was well known for the journals he kept as he traveled from place to place. He was an eloquent writer, his words were filled with passion and emotion. He wrote these vibrant words about the storms of the Sierra, “It was easy to see that only a small part of the rain reached the ground in the form of drops. Most of it was thrashed into dusty spray, like that into which small waterfalls are divided when they dash on shelving rocks. Never have I seen water coming from the sky in denser or more passionate streams…Here I was glad to linger, gazing and listening, while the storm was in its richest mood—the gray rain-flood above, the brown river-flood beneath.”[15] This was just one illustration of Muir’s writing ability.
In Muir’s lifetime he published numerous articles and books about his travel, as well as, his beliefs as a naturalist. “The great public service of John Muir was leading the nation through his writings to appreciate the grandeur of our mountains and the beauty and variety of their plant and animal life, and the consequent necessity for holding forever as a heritage for all the people the most precious of these great scenic areas.”[16] He wanted each person to see the beauty of nature. It made no difference to him, one’s social, economic or political status. He delivered a passionate message about nature and the world was his audience. His writings appeared to move people, as though they had some type of mystical power.
More than anything Muir was known for conservationist views and his efforts to protect the wilderness. Beginning with his childhood, Muir had a yearning for nature. He believed, “…every creature has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every form of life, like every group of people, is equal in the eyes of the Creator; indeed, all species are in some sense “people”—on this long walk…”[17] As he became a seasoned man he developed a deeper respect and connection with nature. “Muir felt a spiritual connection to nature; he believed that mankind is just one part of an interconnected natural world, not its master, and that God is revealed through nature.”[18]
Muir understood the oneness of all living things. In many of his writings he used God, nature and beauty interchangeable. He defined himself thus, “walking with Nature on the sheeted plain, along the broidered foothills of the great Sierra Nevada, and up in the higher piney, balsam-scented forests of the cool mountains. In these walks there has been no human method—no law—not rule.”[19] When he was outside enjoying nature time was not a thought to him. He enjoyed wandering into the free-spirted mountains, rivers and valleys. It wasn’t for the sport of it, but to continue to connect the relationship between man and nature.
He wrote articles and books calling attention to the abuse and destruction of this untrammeled wilderness for the sake of progress. The renowned wilderness photographer Galen Rowell once asked the question to Reinhold Messner, who is a well-known Italian mountaineer. The question he asked dealt with the Alps one of the most famous mountains in the world had succumb to progress. Meaning it had hotels, railways and cities in its vicinity, but in the United States it was not so. Messner answered the question by saying Muir was the difference. In his academic journal, John Muir As Deep Ecologist, author Bill Devall wrote, “Muir was one of those naturalists who, as Raymond Dasmann pointed out, “were responsible for the creation of the system of protected areas in the United States... to establish buffers against the greed and rapacity of their fellow citizens. In the 1850's Thoreau had proclaimed the necessity for protecting at least some areas in which nature could remain intact against the destructive forces of civilization.”[20]
Muir’s passion for nature and wilderness began to produce fruit. In 1890, due largely to Muir’s effort Congress passed an act creating Yosemite National Park. Muir created the Sierra Club in 1892. Its purpose was to protect the newly created Yosemite National Park from cattlemen and others would attempt to lessen the park’s borders. He is also credited for the creation of the following national parks: Sequoia, Mount Rainer, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon. By the early 1900s, Muir’s writings had gotten the ultimate exposure, they had come to the attention of then President Theodore Roosevelt. Muir’s work persuaded President Roosevelt so much that the president took a three night camping trip with Muir. The time with Muir influenced President Roosevelt’s conservationist policies greatly. Muir was always the protector of nature and the wilderness. He and the newly created Sierra Club waged many battles to protect the Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. The last and probably most dramatic battle was their fight against the construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. It was a situation in which one side wanted to protect the sensitive balance of nature and the other side wanted to push for a much needed water reservoir. In 1913, Muir and the Sierra Club lost the battle, due in part to because of progress. The Hetch Hetchy Valley became a reservoir to provide a water supply for the growing city of San Francisco. After this defeat Muir seemed to just slip away in the sunset. The latter part of Muir’s life was spent mainly with his travel, his avid passion for writing and managing the Sierra Club.
Muir had a life that was full of accomplishments. This nation is indebted to him for the creation of the National Park System, his vigilance in protecting our forest and wilderness, working with President Roosevelt and Congress to create environmental legislation that’s noteworthy even today. His passion for nature was second to none. His gift for writing continues to educate and enlighten us even today. We as a nation have benefited greatly from his contributions to the conservation and preservation of the American wilderness. Because of this accomplishments this nation was able to create the National Parks System.
He was possibly the most celebrated and influential naturalist and conservationist of our time. He gave people a reason for wanting to protect our environment. Through a pen he was able to increase our awareness of nature. John Muir’s impact on society is still being understood. He viewed nature as not just an environment that provided materials for the human race. Nor did he look at the human race being the owners of the materials in this environment. He saw it as a harmonious union between nature and man. One in which every living thing had its own distinct right and place. No one species could take the place of the other. To Muir everything was as one, everything was complete, there were not parts that were not complete.
John Muir fought a good fight and had always been true to nature and himself. He could look back on his life’s work with no regrets. On December 24, 1914, John Muir died of pneumonia at the age of 76 years old in a hospital in Los Angeles, California. Over those 76 years, Muir gave so much to the cause of protecting and preserving nature. In his memory the state of California chose to put him on their state quarter. It shows Muir looking off into the distant beholding the beauty of the Yosemite Valley, while a California condor is flying in the scene. To celebrate its 100th anniversary the National Park Service will feature John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt on a $5.00 gold coin. The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916. Muir was fondly known as the “Father of our National Park System”.
[1] Brainy Quote. “John Muir Quotes,” Brainy Quote, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnmuir107171.html (accessed January 15, 2016)
[2] University of the Pacific, University Library. “John Muir Papers,” University of the Pacific http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/John-Muir-Papers.html (accessed January 15, 2016)
[3] Amy Leinbach Marquis, “A Mountain Calling: National Park and Conservation Association,” National Parks Conservation Association, http://www.webcitation.org/5yV7qVp6y (accessed January 17, 2016)
[4] Amy Leinbach Marquis, “A Mountain Calling: National Park and Conservation Association,” National Parks Conservation Association, http://www.webcitation.org/5yV7qVp6y (accessed January 17, 2016)
[5] Donald Worster, “John Muir and the Modern Passion for Nature”. Environmental History 10 (1). [Forest History Society, Forest History Society and The American Society for Environmental History, American Society for Environmental History, Oxford University Press]: 8–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985830 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[6] William Frederic Badè, The Life and Letters of John Muir: Volume I. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923), p. 39.
[7] Ibid., 39-40
[8] Donald Worster, “John Muir and the Modern Passion for Nature”. Environmental History 10 (1). [Forest History Society, Forest History Society and The American Society for Environmental History, American Society for Environmental History, Oxford University Press]: 8–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985830 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[9] Biography.com, “John Muir Biography,” Biography.com http://www.biography.com/people/john-muir-9417625 (accessed January 17, 2016)
[10] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 105. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[11] William Frederic Badè, The Life and Letters of John Muir: Volume I. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923), p. 156.
[12] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 105. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[13] William Frederic Badè, The Life and Letters of John Muir: Volume I. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923), p. 201
[14] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 106. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
[15] Charles R. Van Hise, “John Muir”. Science 45 (1153). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 106-107. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1641544 (accessed February 10, 2016).
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