Free Download Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir: The History of the Partnership that Established the Conservation Movement in America by Charles River Editors
English | September 29, 2025 | ISBN: N/A | ASIN: B0FT739VH3 | 127 pages | EPUB | 27 Mb
In the 1890s, it was Teddy Roosevelt's turn to make history, leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War and being decorated for his service with a Medal of Honor. He parlayed his glory into the governorship of New York and then the Vice Presidency under William McKinley. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901, young Teddy was thrust into the presidency, one that would earn him a place on Mount Rushmore, Roosevelt's "Square Deal" domestic policies favored average citizens while busting trusts and monopolies. Roosevelt also promoted conservation as an environmental stance, while his "speak softly and carry a big stick" foreign policy is still an oft used phrase today. Roosevelt even earned a Nobel Prize during his presidency.
By the time Roosevelt died in 1919, he was an American icon. Today, Teddy is remembered for being an explorer, hunter, author, soldier, president, and safari adventurer, all of which combine into one unique reputation. As with all legends, Roosevelt is often portrayed more as a quintessential man's man, to the point that the legend obscures the actual man.
John Muir is remembered as one of the earliest conservationists, naturalists and natural philosophers who is forever entwined with California - he is the man behind the creation of the Yosemite National Park and the namesake of the John Muir Trail in Sierra Nevada. Thus, it is somewhat amazing that Muir was 30 years old before he ever set foot in the state. In fact, Muir was a Scotsman, and despite the fact that he lived in the United States for almost his entire life, he never lost his accent, nor did he lose his fundamental identity with the wild East Lothian countryside and the rugged Scottish coast upon which he was born.
The United States is full of natural wonders, but few remain unspoiled by man as much as Yosemite National Park, a 750,000 square acre park near the Sierra Nevada range. Despite being inhabited by people for nearly 3,000 years, the relatively remote spot helped ensure that even as America expanded west, the Yosemite area avoided being settled or exploited like so many other areas on the frontier. Although it is a World Heritage Site and has been visited by millions of people, nearly the entire park remains wilderness, replete with features like waterfalls, giant sequoia groves, mountains, and some of America's most impressive granite cliffs.
Given its natural wonders, it should come as no surprise that the area attracted some of the 19th century's most famous conservationists, including Muir and his good friend Theodore Roosevelt. Muir in particular was instrumental in having Yosemite declared a national park, and he would wax eloquently about the area and the fight to preserve it: "The making of gardens and parks goes on with civilization all over the world, and they increase both in size and number as their value is recognized. Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike. This natural beauty-hunger is made manifest in the little windowsill gardens of the poor, though perhaps only a geranium slip in a broken cup, as well as in the carefully tended rose and lily gardens of the rich, the thousands of spacious city parks and botanical gardens, and in our magnificent National Parks-the Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia, etc.-Nature's sublime wonderlands, the admiration and joy of the world. Nevertheless, like anything else worth while, from the very beginning, however well guarded, they have always been subject to attack by despoiling gain-seekers and mischief-makers of every degree from Satan to Senators, eagerly trying to make everything immediately and selfishly commercial, with schemes disguised in smug-smiling philanthropy, industriously, sham-piously crying, 'Conservation, conservation, panutilization,' that man and beast may be fed and the dear Nation made great.
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