John Muir: Political Activist
Brendon Guichet
HIST 1020
John Muir paper In a lifetime of exploration, writing, and passionate political activism, John Muir made himself America's most expressive spokesman for the mystery and majesty of the wilderness. A crucial figure in the creation of our national parks system and a visionary forecaster of environmental awareness, he was also a master of natural description who suggested with exceptional power and intimacy the landscapes of the American West. “The Boyhood of a Naturalist” is Muir's account of growing up by the sea in Scotland, of coming to America with his family at age eleven, and of his early fascination with the natural world.
As a boy, Muir was "fond of everything that was wild” and took great pleasure in the …show more content…
John was extraordinary when it came to recounting his occurrences with nature and animals. John writes, “She was the most faithful, intelligent, playful, affectionate, human-like horse I ever knew, and she won all our hearts”. John even appreciated women especially his mother by studying birds. He understood everything his mother did for him especially when he says, “to feel that it in no way differed from the divine mother-love of a woman”. Even though John related his works through nature, animals, and women he also examined the class structure in a different …show more content…
We are able to see John’s perceptions on many class, race, and gender matters when he says, “they have no rights that we are bound to respect, and were made only for man to be petted, spoiled, slaughtered, or enslaved”. When John and his family migrated over to Wisconsin, they had servants who worked on the farm for them. This was not uncommon as to slavery was legal during this time period and no one questioned this. John, his father, and brothers traveled first to make sure they had a house to stay in. Before winter came, the house was ready for occupancy, and in November, Mrs. Muir and the rest of the family arrived from Scotland. Gender differences were very common and John understood this. John was surrounded by the males everyday doing farming activities, while the women stayed inside cooking and
HIST 1020
John Muir paper In a lifetime of exploration, writing, and passionate political activism, John Muir made himself America's most expressive spokesman for the mystery and majesty of the wilderness. A crucial figure in the creation of our national parks system and a visionary forecaster of environmental awareness, he was also a master of natural description who suggested with exceptional power and intimacy the landscapes of the American West. “The Boyhood of a Naturalist” is Muir's account of growing up by the sea in Scotland, of coming to America with his family at age eleven, and of his early fascination with the natural world.
As a boy, Muir was "fond of everything that was wild” and took great pleasure in the …show more content…
John was extraordinary when it came to recounting his occurrences with nature and animals. John writes, “She was the most faithful, intelligent, playful, affectionate, human-like horse I ever knew, and she won all our hearts”. John even appreciated women especially his mother by studying birds. He understood everything his mother did for him especially when he says, “to feel that it in no way differed from the divine mother-love of a woman”. Even though John related his works through nature, animals, and women he also examined the class structure in a different …show more content…
We are able to see John’s perceptions on many class, race, and gender matters when he says, “they have no rights that we are bound to respect, and were made only for man to be petted, spoiled, slaughtered, or enslaved”. When John and his family migrated over to Wisconsin, they had servants who worked on the farm for them. This was not uncommon as to slavery was legal during this time period and no one questioned this. John, his father, and brothers traveled first to make sure they had a house to stay in. Before winter came, the house was ready for occupancy, and in November, Mrs. Muir and the rest of the family arrived from Scotland. Gender differences were very common and John understood this. John was surrounded by the males everyday doing farming activities, while the women stayed inside cooking and