The Conservation Reform Movement

1. The Conservation Reform Movement Per. 6, Language Arts

2. Introductory Thesis: Between the 1800s and 1900s, people supported the Conservation Movement to preserve nature and its land and resources from getting destroyed. They did all they could to save the forests, protect wildlife, and prevent air and water pollution. The purpose, or the big idea, of the Conservation Movement was to preserve an area of the U.S. to keep it from getting ruined in the future. They didn’t want the natural land to get destroyed from buildings, pollution, and etc. They wanted to keep the landmarks they found when they first discovered it. They didn’t want natural resources and wildlife to get destroyed by future industrial processes. They want to keep its originality and keep everything natural so no one in the future can mess its beauty. This project and topic goes across the discipline because it relates to history, language arts, and science. It involves history because of the people and time period. It’s English related because of the project prompt. Lastly, it’s related to science because of the nature, environment, and ecosystem involved in this movement.

3. Another thing the Conservation Movement wanted to prevent is air pollution. The factories and child labors they had had caused a lot of smoke. They wanted to keep it from getting worse and fouling the air. Secondhand smoke was and isn’t good for your lungs and does not help people with asthma. Conservationists didn’t just care about animals but the people around them. They wanted to keep the clean air they breathe from turning into filthy smoke and chemicals. Major Issues wildlife • One problem the Conservation Movement wanted to prevent was running out of natural resources. They didn’t want to run out of land and soils to plant crops. They didn’t want forests to get cleared to use wood. Lastly, they did want to keep their water resources for fish and water. The most important one was wood. That’s why they wanted to protect the forests from being wiped out for industrial business. For example, the Yosemite National Park was created to protect nature’s biggest trees. • The Conservation Movement also wanted to preserve water resources. For example, lakes, rivers, ponds, and so on. They didn’t want them from getting polluted and dammed. The benefit of having clean water is for irrigation, for animals to live, and just the beauty of it. Wouldn’t you want to drink clean water, live in clean water, and see clean water? I would! • The Conservationists wanted to preserve wildlife. They feared of animals going extinct and getting hunted too much. At the time, animals were getting killed for food and just for their fur. Some animals were hunted for food and other were hunted to be made into clothing and accessories. They wanted to stop this from going overboard and making the animals go endangered or extinct. In addition, animals were also disappearing because their natural habitats were getting destroyed. For examples, forests and oceans. It’s kind of like a chain reaction. wildlife This movement did the right things to prevent all the wrong things that would ruin the future. forests Air pollution

4. Key People • INCREASE LAPHAM was the founder and members of many Conservation organizations in Wisconsin. He would keep records of the environment and write books about them. Basically, he wanted to preserve wildlife and state forests like other Conservationists. He did so by writing books for others to read about the idea of Conservation. He wrote up to 80 books, articles, maps, and pamphlets on the Conservation --- mostly forest conservation. • JOHN MUIR was the founder of the Sierra Club and the first person to start the Conservation Reform Movement. He’s like the “father” of national parks and is America’s most famous and influential conservationist. Muir was the 1st president of the Sierra Club. He created the club to “do something for the wilderness and make the mountains glad.” He also wrote and published articles for further protection of Yosemite. Before the Conservation, Muir was an inventor of clocks but gave that up to study “the inventions of God.” All these people sought different ways to help with the Conservation Movement. • THEODORE ROOSEVELT helped a lot with Conservation Reform Movement. As president, he projected the movement to a lot of people. In his lifetime, he preserved 150 national forests, 5 National Parks, and 51 Federal Bird Reservations. Later on, he created 4 National Game Preserves, 18 National Monuments, 25 Reclamation Projects, and a lot more.As you can see, Teddy Roosevelt was big on the Conservation Movement. • GIFFORD PINCHOT encouraged protection of national forests. He was also known as the “father” of American Conservation because of his great concern for protection of state forests. He was very passionate about forests. He gave up his family business to study his love for forestry. In, 1898, he became head of the Division of Forestry. In addition, President Theodore Roosevelt named him Chief Forester for the U.S. Forest Service. He collaborated with Roosevelt a lot during this movement. The term Conservationists is used for people who supported the Conservation Movement. The term forestry is used for a study of forests. Roosevelt was a big trend and influence because he supported the movement during his presidency so he projected it in front of a big audience.

5. Literature Conservation and the Gospel of Efficiency: The Progressive Conservation Movement By: Samuel P. Hays Wilderness and the American Mind By: Roderick Nash The literature that came out of this movement were a lot of books and a few essays. Here are some of them: “America’s First Environmental Challenge” in Essays on the Gilded Age By: H. Wayne Morgan The literature is still out and around today. It can be found in libraries and book stores. It’s persuading people who are reading it or at least informing them about the idea of the Conservation Reform Movement. There are people who agree with the movement and others who may not.

6. HOW DID THE MOVEMENT PERSUADE PEOPLE THAT THEIR IDEA WAS A GOOD ONE? The Conservationists would try and spread the word with their thoughts on the movement. “There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite…our people should see that they are preserved for their children and their children…with beauty all unmarred.” –Teddy Roosevelt “I loved the woods and everything about them.” –Gifford Pinchot "Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life." –John Muir Plus all the literature that came out of the movement. WAS THE MOVEMENT A SUCCESS OR FAILURE? HOW DO YOU KNOW? This movement was a failure but then again a success. It failed because today, there’s still animal extinction, pollution, and global warming. However, I give everyone props for trying and still supporting what I think is a good cause. It’s also a success because today, there’s all sorts of national parks and organizations to help support this movement. They protect the forests and animals. There’s new laws that tolerate no pollution, animal abuse, and etc. We’ve succeeded over time too because we have a lot more people “going green” nowadays. We recycle, help save animals, and more. I mean, we haven’t solved all the issues completely but it’s at least a start.

7. Other Questions??? Other questions that a researcher may ask about the Conservation Movement • Did the Conservationists suspect global warming??? • Was there the “recycling” process to help save trees back then??? • What did people do to save the animals??? Today, we have zoos and organizations to shelter the animals. • Did they have laws against littering and/or dumping??? Today, we have fines for anyone who litters. • Did this movement involve any petitions, protests, assemblies, or even riots???

8. If you were alive during this movement, would you have been involved? Why or why not? Knowing the environment situations today, yes I would be involved in the Conservation Reform Movement back then. The people who supported this movement are correct about everything. Today, there’s forests being cleared, animals going endangered or extinct, there’s water polluted, the grounds are being littered or run over to have turned into cities, and the air is filled with smoke and chemicals. If I was alive when John Muir or Theodore Roosevelt were, I would definitely support them with their services for protecting nature. They tried to do the world a favor by protecting it from getting wrecked. If I could prevent the bad things today that evolved into global warming, I sure will join the movement. The environment and ecosystem has changed overtime because like the paragraph said, there’s forests being cleared, animals going extinct, and so on going on today. When back then, everything was so fresh, clean, and natural.

9. Bibliography Bing Images. Bing, 2011. Web. 15 Feb 2011. http://www.bing.com/images?FORM=Z9LH5. "Conservation, Preservation, and Environmental Activism... ." History E-LibraryN.p., 16 Jan 2003. Web. 07 Feb 2011. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/hisnps/NPSThinking/nps-oah.htm. "Conservationist Theodore Roosevelt." Theodore Roosevelt Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb 2011. http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/conservation.htm. "Gifford Pinchot." United States History. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb 2011. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h939.html. "Gifford Pinchot - USFS History - Forest History Society." U.S. Forest History Service. N.p., 18 Dec 2009. Web. 10 Feb 2011. http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/people/Pinchot/Pinchot.aspx. McNamara, Robert. "John Muir - Biography of John Muir, National Parks Advocate, Father of Conservation Movement." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb 2011. http://history1800s.about.com/od/americanoriginals/a/johnmuirbio.htm. "National Park History Service: Antiquities Act of 1906." History E-Library. N.p., 29 Nov 2004. Web. 09 Feb 2011. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/hisnps/npshistory/antiq.htm. "The Conservation Movement." Wisconsin Historical Society. N.p., 2011. Web. 07 Feb 2011. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-033/?action=more_essay. "The John Muir Exhibit - The Sierra Club." Sierra Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb 2011. http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/. "The Progressive Movement." United States History. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb 2011.http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1061.html