Conservation Movement

Conservation Movement

            The Conservation Movement was an American based movement to help protect the land, nature and wildlife in the United States. One of its biggest supporters and leaders was Theodore Roosevelt, not only was a Roosevelt a big gamesman but he enjoyed wildlife more than anything. He was quoted saying “Nothing could be more lonely and nothing more beautiful than the view at nightfall across the prairies to these huge hill masses, when the lengthening shadows had at last merged into one and the faint after-glow of the red sunset filled the west.” He had a true love for the outdoors, so when he saw what was happening to the wildlife, so he had to take action. Even before his presidency Roosevelt took action in saving these things that were not just valuable to him but to many more people just like him.

Theodore Roosevelt in Colorado on one of his expeditions

            Many years before Roosevelt was elected president, Yellowstone becomes the world and country’s first national park in 1872. Twenty-nine years later, in 1901 after the death of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt becomes President and makes conservation an important domestic priority. Roosevelt is seen as the overall leader and constructer of this movement but could not have done it without the help of John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. John Muir was an author and naturalist that helped the conservation movement in many ways. His writings and work about wildlife and nature just after Roosevelt became president gave a much needed push to the movement. His writing would help lead the movement for many years to come. Gifford Pinchot played a big part in the Conservation Movement in that he was the first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

Painting done to show the beauty of wildlife and nature in America

            Two years after becoming President, Roosevelt continued the Conservation push by establishing a federally protected wildlife refuge in Florida. This was the first or fifty-three wildlife sanctuaries he created in his time as president. This refuge would lead to today’s National Wildlife Refuge System. This is just another step that Roosevelt took in preserving what he found most beautiful in America, the wildlife. For one last job as the Conservation president, Roosevelt convenes the North American Conservation Conference to get all of North America to join in on the conservation of America.

A political cartoon using Theodore Roosevelt advertising the Conservation Movement

            One of the biggest ways used to motivate the public was political cartoons. There was not a better political figure to use than the biggest political figure in the nation, Theodore Roosevelt. These political cartoons persuaded, not just the government but the public to take action as well. To get the public involved was a huge step for the government officials involved. It meant that they had a growing force to help preserve something important to the American people. This meant that these political cartoons and drawings had a lot riding on them for the leaders of the movement.

Another political cartoon using Theodore Roosevelt

            The Hetch Hetchy Dam controversy was the first ever Conservation debate that Americans witnessed. The Hetch Hetchy Valley was located in the Yosemite National Park so anything that was to be done to it had to go through congress first. The people of San Francisco wanted to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley in order to create an aqueduct to deliver water to the city. Conservationists were not happy because they felt like it would damage the value of the park. Citizens from all over the country sent in petitions from both sides of the debate to voice their opinion.

The Hetch Hetchy Valley pre-damming

            Even after everyone voiced their opinion, congress still passed legislation that allowed the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Even though losing this battle, the “preservationists” were a strong and growing group that helped raise awareness for preserving nature and help create the start of the National Park Service.

Works Cited

Beatty, Robert O. "The Conservation Movement." JSTOR. Sage Publications, Inc., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. This source gave me a beginner look at the Conservation Movement as a whole. It was a good source to start with because it gave me a very simple overlook of the whole topic.

"Conservation Movement: Conservation Chronology 1901-1907." Conservation Movement: Conservation Chronology 1901-1907. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. This is a timeline of the American Conservation Movement from 1847-1920. The dates are helpful but there is very little information on each one.

"The Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920History." History. Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. This source helped give me a look at how the Conservation Movement changed over time. It showed how views and certain people changed over a certain time period.

Kish, George. JSTOR. Ecological Society of America, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. This source gives the impact that the Conservation Movement had on the wildlife and species that the movement protected and supported.

Northup, Clark S. JSTOR. The Phi Beta Kappa Society, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. This source told me about how Theodore Roosevelt was involved in the Conservation and the impact he had it.

United States. National Park Service. "Theodore Roosevelt Timeline." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 04 Feb. 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2015. This is a timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's life. It shows when and how he helped and supported the Conservation Movement.