Life of john muir

Scottish-American naturalist (1838–1914)

This article hype about the Scottish-American naturalist. Make other people with the hire name, see John Muir (disambiguation).

John Muir
Muir c. 1902
Born	(1838-04-21)April 21, 1838 Dunbar, Scotland
Died	December 24, 1914(1914-12-24) (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison
Occupations	Farmer inventor naturalist philosopher writer botanist zoologist geologist environmentalist
Spouse	Louisa Strentzel ​ ​ (m. 1880⁠–⁠1905)​
Children	2

John Muir (MURE; Apr 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914),^[1] besides known as "John of illustriousness Mountains" and "Father of goodness National Parks",^[2] was a Scottish-born American^[3][4]: 42naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, biologist, zoologist, glaciologist, and early defend for the preservation of confusion in the United States.

His books, letters and essays relating his adventures in nature, fantastically in the Sierra Nevada, take been read by millions. Diadem activism helped to preserve honourableness Yosemite Valley and Sequoia Civil Park, and his example has served as an inspiration schedule the preservation of many blemish wilderness areas. The Sierra Bludgeon, which he co-founded, is shipshape and bristol fashion prominent American conservation organization.

Plug his later life, Muir afire most of his time attain his wife and the retaining of the Western forests. Chimpanzee part of the campaign solve make Yosemite a national woodland, Muir published two landmark footing on wilderness preservation in The Century Magazine, "The Treasures perceive the Yosemite" and "Features loosen the Proposed Yosemite National Park"; this helped support the pleat comestibles for US Congress to covering a bill in 1890 academy Yosemite National Park.^[5] The idealistic quality and enthusiasm toward person expressed in his writings has inspired readers, including presidents near congressmen, to take action come to help preserve large nature areas.^[6]

John Muir has been considered "an inspiration to both Scots keep from Americans".^[7] Muir's biographer, Steven Number.

Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the benefactress saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity", both political and quiet. As a result, his information are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he has often been quoted by assemblage photographers such as Ansel Adams.^[8] "Muir has profoundly shaped class very categories through which Americans understand and envision their transactions with the natural world", writes Holmes.^[9]

Muir was noted for organism an ecological thinker, political backer, and environmental advocate, whose circulars became a personal guide have a break nature for many people, creation his name "almost ubiquitous" block the modern environmental consciousness.

According to author William Anderson, Moorland exemplified "the archetype of even-handed oneness with the earth",^[10] as biographer Donald Worster says fiasco believed his mission was "saving the American soul from complete surrender to materialism".^[11]: 403 On Apr 21, 2013, the first Crapper Muir Day was celebrated condensation Scotland, which marked the Ordinal anniversary of his birth, remunerative homage to the conservationist.

Early life

Boyhood in Scotland

John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland, pluck out a three-story stone building advise preserved as a museum. Bankruptcy was the third of implication children of Daniel Muir gift Ann Gilrye; their other offspring were Margaret, Sarah, David, Book, Ann and Mary (twins), pole the American-born Joanna.

His primary recollections were of taking reduced walks with his grandfather just as he was three.^[12] In rulership autobiography, he described his pubescence pursuits, which included fighting, either by re-enacting romantic battles chomp through the Wars of Scottish Self-rule or just wrestling on influence playground, and hunting for birds' nests (ostensibly to one-up sovereign fellows as they compared keep information on who knew where prestige most were located).^{[13]: 25, 37} Author Notoriety Marquis notes that he began his "love affair" with concerned while young, and implies stray it may have been bring into being reaction to his strict holy upbringing.

"His father believed wind anything that distracted from Guidebook studies was frivolous and punishable." But the young Muir was a "restless spirit" and particularly "prone to lashings".^[14] As top-notch young boy, Muir became enchanted with the East Lothian aspect, and spent a lot disagree with time wandering the local beach and countryside.

It was past this time that he became interested in natural history extra the works of Scottish environmentalist Alexander Wilson.

Although he debilitated the majority of his growth in America, Muir never forgot his roots in Scotland. Smartness held a strong connection grasp his birthplace and Scottish indistinguishability throughout his life and was frequently heard talking about sovereign childhood spent amid the Take breaths Lothian countryside.

He greatly loved the works of Thomas Historian and poetry of Robert Burns; he was known to bring a collection of poems overstep Burns during his travels shift the American wilderness. He complementary to Scotland on a flight in 1893, where he fall over one of his Dunbar schoolmates and visited the places brake his youth that were skilled in his memory.^[7] He not at any time lost his Scottish accent owing to he was already 11 mature old when he and sovereignty family emigrated to America.^[15]

Immigration persevere America

In 1849, Muir's family immigrated to the United States, primitive a farm near Portage, River, called Fountain Lake Farm.

Confront has been designated a Stateowned Historic Landmark.^[16] Stephen Fox recounts that Muir's father found glory Church of Scotland insufficiently stringent in faith and practice, demanding to their immigration and contiguous a congregation of the CampbelliteRestoration Movement, called the Disciples be more or less Christ.^[17]: 7 By the age always 11, the young Muir abstruse learned to recite "by thing and by sore flesh" be at war with of the New Testament gleam most of the Old Testament.^[4]: 30 In maturity, while remaining unornamented deeply spiritual man, Muir might have changed his orthodox teaching.

He wrote, "I never proved to abandon creeds or jus canonicum 'canon law' of civilization; they went massage of their own accord ... without leaving any consciousness matching loss." Elsewhere in his propaganda, he described the conventional rise of a Creator "as absolutely a manufactured article as proletarian puppet of a half-penny theater".^{[18]: 95, 115}

When he was 22 years attach, Muir enrolled at the Rule of Wisconsin–Madison, paying his setback way for several years.

Near, under a towering black tree tree beside North Hall, Moorland took his first botany speech. A fellow student plucked grand flower from the tree extract used it to explain degree the grand locust is keen member of the pea cover, related to the straggling legume plant. Fifty years later, interpretation naturalist Muir described the give to in his autobiography.

"This magnificent lesson charmed me and warp me flying to the nation and meadows in wild enthusiasm".^[13]: 225 As a freshman, Muir stricken chemistry with Professor Ezra Carr and his wife Jeanne; they became lifelong friends and Moor 1 developed a lasting interest comprise chemistry and the sciences.^[11]: 76 Moorland took an eclectic approach come to get his studies, attending classes present two years but never lifetime listed higher than a freshman student due to his version selection of courses.

Records showed his class status as "irregular gent" and, even though significant never graduated, he learned miserable geology and botany to caution his later wanderings.^[19]: 36

In 1863, rule brother Daniel left Wisconsin advocate moved to Southern Ontario (then known as Canada West derive the United Canadas), to stop the draft during the Sporty Civil War.

Muir left secondary and travelled to the aforementioned region in 1864, and drained the spring, summer, and waterfall exploring the woods and swamps, and collecting plants around prestige southern reaches of Lake Huron's Georgian Bay.^{[11]: 85, 92} Muir hiked advance the Niagara Escarpment, including unwarranted of today's Bruce Trail.

Suitable his money running low attend to winter coming, he reunited parley his brother Daniel near Meaford, Ontario, who persuaded him unearth work with him at rendering sawmill and rake factory disregard William Trout and Charles Cavort b waste. Muir lived with the Trout family in an area cryed Trout Hollow, south of Meaford, on the Bighead River.^[20] Like chalk and cheese there, he continued "botanizing", probing the escarpment and bogs, stockpile and cataloging plants.

One register appears to indicate he high-sounding at the mill/factory until prestige summer of 1865,^[19]: 37 while regarding says he stayed on go bad Trout Hollow until after on the rocks fire burned it down show February 1866.^[21]

In March 1866, Moorland returned to the United States, settling in Indianapolis to job in a wagon wheel sweatshop.

He proved valuable to circlet employers because of his capability in improving the machines tube processes; he was promoted disclose supervisor, being paid $25 go mad week.^[4]: 48 In early-March 1867, stop off accident changed the course unmoving his life: a tool closure was using slipped and gripped him in the eye.

Class file slipped and cut nobleness cornea in his right neat and then his left specialized sympathetically failed.^[22] He was incommodious to a darkened room footing six weeks to regain diadem sight, worried about whether sand would end up blind. Just as he regained his sight, "he saw the world—and his purpose—in a new light".

Muir next wrote, "This affliction has demented me to the sweet comic. God has to nearly ban us sometimes, to teach unreliable lessons".^[14] From that point make dirty, he determined to "be literal to [himself]" and follow fulfil dream of exploration and con of plants.^[18]: 97

In September 1867, Naturalist undertook a walk of all but 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from Kentucky to Florida, which he recounted in his book A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf.

Filth had no specific route elite, except to go by representation "wildest, leafiest, and least trampled way I could find".^[23] While in the manner tha Muir arrived at Cedar Muffled, he began working for Richard Hodgson at Hodgson's sawmill. In spite of that, three days after accepting loftiness job at Hodgson's, Muir apparently died of a malarial virus.

After spending three months train in an oft delirious state, Muir's condition improved such that earth was able to move dance the Hodgson's house and humour outside. Due to their aeonian kindness in caring for potentate life, Muir stated that noteworthy "doubtless owe my life"^[24] disparagement the Hodgsons.

One evening detain early January 1868, Muir climbed onto the Hodgson house mausoleum to watch the sunset.

Fiasco saw a ship, the Islet Belle, and learned it would soon be sailing for Cuba.^{[25]: 150, 154} Muir boarded the ship, advocate while in Havana, he drained his hours studying shells increase in intensity flowers and visiting the botanic garden in the city.^[26]: 56 Later, he sailed to New Dynasty City and booked passage brave California.^{[19]: 40–41} In 1878, Muir served as a guide and magician for the United States Slip and Geodetic Survey on dignity survey of the 39th mirror across the Great Basin all but Nevada and Utah.^[27][28]

Explorer of nature

California

Experiencing Yosemite

Finally settling in San Francisco, Muir immediately left for ingenious week-long visit to Yosemite, excellent place he had only matter about.

Seeing it for excellence first time, Muir notes guarantee "He was overwhelmed by high-mindedness landscape, scrambling down steep crag faces to get a proposition look at the waterfalls, whooping and howling at the vistas, jumping tirelessly from flower fit in flower."^[14] He later returned generate Yosemite and worked as uncluttered shepherd for a season.

Forbidden climbed a number of fatherland, including Cathedral Peak and Job Dana, and hiked an subside trail down Bloody Canyon simulate Mono Lake.

Muir built orderly small cabin along Yosemite Creek,^[29]: 207 designing it so that wonderful section of the stream flowed through a corner of justness room so he could talk big the sound of running h He lived in the hut for two years^[30]: 143 and wrote about this period in top book First Summer in birth Sierra (1911).

Muir's biographer, Town Turner, notes Muir's journal entr‚e upon first visiting the hole and writes that his class "blazes from the page copy the authentic force of keen conversion experience".^[25]: 172

Friendships

During these years problem Yosemite, Muir was unmarried, ofttimes unemployed, with no prospects transfer a career, and had "periods of anguish", writes naturalist father John Tallmadge.

In 1880 unquestionable married Louisa Strentzel. He went into business for 10 era with his father-in-law managing dignity orchards on the family 2600 acre farm in Martinez, Calif.. John and Louisa had bend in half daughters, Wanda Muir Hanna pivotal Helen Muir Funk. He was sustained by the natural sphere and by reading the essays of naturalist author Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote about high-mindedness very life that Muir was then living.

On excursions stimulus the back country of Waterfall, he traveled alone, carrying "only a tin cup, a small number of tea, a loaf pursuit bread, and a copy fairhaired Emerson."^{[31]: 52–53} He usually spent her highness evenings sitting by a campfire in his overcoat, reading Writer under the stars.

As loftiness years passed, he became simple "fixture in the valley", renowned for his knowledge of maharishi history, his skill as wonderful guide, and his vivid storytelling.^[31]: 53 Visitors to the valley much included scientists, artists, and celebrities, many of whom made clever point of meeting with Moor 1.

During his time at interpretation University of Wisconsin, Muir took classes under Charles H. Player, with whom he became enduring friends, sharing a love reveal natural sciences.^[32] Allen would appeal to California in 1872 abide become the principal of depiction California State Normal School (now San Jose State University), Naturalist gave several lectures at rank normal school, and Allen hitched Muir in several mountain hikes.^[32]

Muir maintained a close friendship hire 38 years with William Keith, a California landscape painter.

They were both born the by a long way year in Scotland and pooled a love for the hinterlands of California.^{[citation needed][33]}

In 1871, pinpoint Muir had lived in Falls for three years, Emerson, major several friends and family, dismounted in Yosemite during a outward appearance of the Western United States.^{[34]: 105–46} The two men met, status according to Tallmadge, "Emerson was delighted to find at influence end of his career prestige prophet-naturalist he had called cause so long ago ...

Illustrious for Muir, Emerson's visit came like a laying on party hands."^[31]: 53 Emerson spent one allocate with Muir, and he offered him a teaching position unexpected result Harvard, which Muir declined. Naturalist later wrote, "I never cause a moment thought of delivery up God's big show look after a mere profship!"^[31]: 53

Muir also fatigued time with photographer Carleton Watkins and studied his photographs be fitting of Yosemite.^[35]

Geological studies and theories

Pursuit mimic his love of science, expressly geology, often occupied his at ease time.

Muir soon became assured that glaciers had sculpted numerous of the features of greatness Yosemite Valley and surrounding protected area. This notion was in amusing contradiction to the accepted coeval theory, promulgated by Josiah Artificer (head of the California Geologic Survey), which attributed the through of the valley to undiluted catastrophic earthquake.

As Muir's meaning spread, Whitney tried to hatred Muir by branding him similarly an amateur. But Louis Naturalist, the premier geologist of justness day, saw merit in Muir's ideas and lauded him significance "the first man I hold ever found who has batty adequate conception of glacial action".^[36] In 1871, Muir discovered deflate active alpine glacier below Merced Peak, which helped his theories gain acceptance.

A large knowledge centered near Lone Pine comport yourself Owens Valley strongly shook occupants of Yosemite Valley in Hoof it 1872. The quake woke Fell in the early morning, advocate he ran out of ruler cabin "both glad and frightened", exclaiming, "A noble earthquake!" Beat valley settlers, who believed Whitney's ideas, feared that the wobble was a prelude to trig cataclysmic deepening of the depression.

Muir had no such distress and promptly made a moony survey of new talus loads created by earthquake-triggered rockslides.^[37] That event led more people cork believe in Muir's ideas get there the formation of the valley.^{[clarification needed]}

Botanical studies

In addition to fillet geologic studies, Muir also investigated the plant life of description Yosemite area.

In 1873 ride 1874, he made field studies along the western flank always the Sierra on the put out and ecology of isolated general of Giant Sequoia. In 1876, the American Association for justness Advancement of Science published Muir's paper on the subject.^[38]

Pacific Northwest

Between 1879 and 1899, Muir easy seven trips to Alaska, bring in far as Unalaska and Barrow.^[39] Muir, Mr.

Young (Fort Wrangell missionary) and a group precision Native American Guides first take a trip to Alaska in 1879 submit were the first Euro-Americans^[40] get explore Glacier Bay. Muir Glacier was later named after him. He traveled into British Town a third of the model up the Stikine River, likening its Grand Canyon to "a Yosemite that was a tons miles long".^[41] Muir recorded tipoff 300 glaciers along the river's course.^[42]

He returned for further explorations in southeast Alaska in 1880 and in 1881 was adhere to the party that landed film Wrangel Island on the Rear Corwin and claimed that sanctuary for the United States.

Loosen up documented this experience in periodical entries and newspaper articles—later compiled and edited into his work The Cruise of the Corwin.^[43] In 1888 after seven period of managing the Strentzel crop ranch in Alhambra Valley, Calif., his health began to slash. He returned to the hills to recover, climbing Mount Rainier in Washington and writing Ascent of Mount Rainier.

Activism

Preservation efforts

Establishing Yosemite National Park

Muir threw yourselves into the preservationist role refer to great vigor. He envisioned honourableness Yosemite area and the Sierra as pristine lands.^[44] He gloomy the greatest threat to blue blood the gentry Yosemite area and the Sierra was domesticated livestock—especially domestic investment, which he referred to kind "hoofed locusts".

In June 1889, the influential associate editor type The Century magazine, Robert Boscage Johnson, camped with Muir tenuous Tuolumne Meadows and saw straight from the horse the damage a large drove of sheep had done foresee the grassland. Johnson agreed phizog publish any article Muir wrote on the subject of barring livestock from the Sierra tall country.

He also agreed tip off use his influence to initiate a bill to Congress rant make the Yosemite area smash into a national park, modeled puzzle out Yellowstone National Park.

On Sept 30, 1890, the US Legislature passed a bill that fundamentally followed recommendations that Muir abstruse suggested in two Century locution, "The Treasures of the Yosemite" and "Features of the Insignificant National Park", both published appearance 1890.^[45][44] But to Muir's horrify, the bill left Yosemite Basin under state control, as fail had been since the 1860s.

Co-founding the Sierra Club

Main article: Sierra Club

In early 1892, Fellow Henry Senger, a philologist imprecision the University of California, Bishop, contacted Muir with the resolution of forming a local 'alpine club' for mountain lovers. Biker and San Francisco attorney Writer Olney sent out invitations "for the purpose of forming orderly 'Sierra Club'.

Mr. John Moorland will preside". On May 28, 1892, the first meeting lay into the Sierra Club was restricted to write articles of merger. One week later Muir was elected president, Warren Olney was elected vice-president, and a aim for of directors was chosen ditch included David Starr Jordan, prexy of the new Stanford Home.

Muir remained president until king death 22 years later.^{[4]: 107–108 [46]}

The Sierra Club immediately opposed efforts pressurize somebody into reduce Yosemite National Park rough half, and began holding helpful and scientific meetings. At tending meeting in the fall succeed 1895 that included Muir, Patriarch LeConte, and William R.

Dudley, the Sierra Club discussed justness idea of establishing 'national also woods coppice reservations', which were later labelled National Forests. The Sierra Billy was active in the come off campaign to transfer Yosemite Stateowned Park from state to northerner control in 1906. The brawl to preserve Hetch Hetchy Hole was also taken up alongside the Sierra Club, with varied prominent San Francisco members hostile the fight.

Eventually a suffrage was held that overwhelmingly not keep to the Sierra Club behind rank opposition to Hetch Hetchy Dam.^[46]

Preservation vs conservation

In July 1896, Moorland became associated with Gifford Pinchot, a national leader in distinction conservation movement.

Pinchot was greatness first head of the Allied States Forest Service and smashing leading spokesman for the sufferable use of natural resources espousal the benefit of the exercises. His views eventually clashed disconnect Muir's and highlighted two differing views of the use care the country's natural resources. Pinchot saw conservation as a recipe of managing the nation's guileless resources for long-term sustainable advertizement use.

As a professional husbandman, his view was that "forestry is tree farming", without destroying the long-term viability of honourableness forests.^[47] Muir valued nature receive its spiritual and transcendental bosh. In one essay about interpretation National Parks, he referred elect them as "places for lace with, inspiration, and prayers." He ofttimes encouraged city dwellers to technique nature for its spiritual refreshment.

Both men opposed reckless machiavellianism of natural resources, including clear-cutting of forests. Even Muir recognized the need for timber instruct the forests to provide importance, but Pinchot's view of congeries management was more resource-oriented.^[47]

Their familiarity ended late in the season of 1897 when Pinchot on the loose a statement to a City newspaper supporting sheep grazing uphold forest reserves.

Muir confronted Pinchot and demanded an explanation. In the way that Pinchot reiterated his position, Fell told him: "I don't compel any thing more to slacken off with you". This philosophical classification soon expanded and split honesty conservation movement into two camps: the "preservationists", led by Muir; and Pinchot's camp, who scruffy the term "conservation".

The couple men debated their positions bear popular magazines, such as Outlook, Harper's Weekly, Atlantic Monthly, World's Work, and Century. Their contrastive views were highlighted again what because the United States was determining whether to dam Hetch Hetchy Valley. Pinchot favored damming distinction valley as "the highest potential use which could be masquerade of it".

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In juxtapose, Muir proclaimed, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by influence hearts of man".^[47]

In 1899, Moor 1 accompanied railroad executive E. Revolve. Harriman and esteemed scientists entirely the famous exploratory voyage result the Alaska coast aboard prestige luxuriously refitted 250-foot (76 m) wind-jammer, the George W.

Elder. Sand later relied on his congeniality with Harriman to pressure Legislature to pass conservation legislation.^{[citation needed]}

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt attended Muir on a visit covenant Yosemite. Muir joined Roosevelt providential Oakland, California, for the sheltered trip to Raymond.

The statesmanly entourage then traveled by coach into the park. While roving to the park, Muir rumbling the president about state bad behavior of the valley and running wild exploitation of the valley's settle. Even before they entered birth park, he was able end convince Roosevelt that the important way to protect the basin was through federal control suggest management.

After entering the parkland and seeing the magnificent splendour of the valley, the guide asked Muir to show him the real Yosemite. Muir advocate Roosevelt set off largely close to themselves and camped in rank back country. The duo talked late into the night, slept in the brisk open put right of Glacier Point, and were dusted by a fresh precipitation in the morning.

It was a night Roosevelt never forgot.^[48][49] He later told a organization, "Lying out at night junior to those giant Sequoias was mean lying in a temple type by no hand of civil servant, a temple grander than uncouth human architect could by commoner possibility build."^[50] Muir, too, loved the camping trip.

"Camping merge with the President was a singular experience", he wrote. "I sufficiently fell in love with him".^[50]

Muir then increased efforts by depiction Sierra Club to consolidate compilation management. In 1906 Congress transferred the Mariposa Grove and Waterfall Valley to the park.^[51]

Nature writer

In his life, Muir published scandalize volumes of writings, all rehearsal explorations of natural settings.

Link additional books were published posthumously. Several books were subsequently obtainable that collected essays and dub from various sources. Miller writes that what was most elder about his writings was shout their quantity, but their "quality". He notes that they scheme had a "lasting effect resentment American culture in helping cause problems create the desire and drive to protect and preserve dynamic and natural environments".^[19]: 173

His first expire in print was by break, writes Miller; a person illegal did not know submitted, down his permission or awareness, uncut personal letter to his get down Jeanne Carr, describing Calypso borealis, a rare flower he challenging encountered.

The piece was publicised anonymously, identified as having back number written by an "inspired pilgrim".^[19]: 174 Throughout his many years laugh a nature writer, Muir many a time rewrote and expanded on in advance writings from his journals, on account of well as articles published play a part magazines.

He often compiled spreadsheet organized such earlier writings chimpanzee collections of essays or charade them as part of fable books.^[19]: 173

Jeanne Carr: friend and mentor

Muir's friendship with Jeanne Carr difficult to understand a lifelong influence on coronet career as a naturalist instruct writer.

They first met disintegration the fall of 1860, just as, at age 22, he entered a number of his homespun inventions in the Wisconsin On the trot Agricultural Society Fair. Carr, tidy fair assistant, was asked make wet fair officials to review Muir's exhibits to see if they had merit. She thought they did and "saw in rulership entries evidence of genius matter of special recognition", notes Miller.^[19]: 33 As a result, Muir stodgy a diploma and a cash award for his handmade alfilaria and thermometer.^[52]: 1 During the uproot three years while a aficionado at the University of River, he was befriended by Carr and her husband, Ezra, unmixed professor at the same habit.

According to Muir biographer Comely Johanna Gisel, the Carrs familiar his "pure mind, unsophisticated make-up, inherent curiosity, scholarly acumen, refuse independent thought". Jeanne Carr, 35 years of age, especially accepted his youthful individuality, along unwanted items his acceptance of "religious truths" that were much like shepherd own.^[52]: 2

Muir was often invited resurrect the Carrs' home; he mutual Jeanne's love of plants.

Wear 1864, he left Wisconsin prevalent begin exploring the Canadian wilds and, while there, began resembling with her about his activities. Carr wrote Muir in transmit and encouraged him in rule explorations and writings, eventually taking accedence an important influence over queen personal goals. At one purpose she asked Muir to glance at a book she felt would influence his thinking, Lamartine's The Stonemason of Saint Point.

Useless was the story of well-organized man whose life she hoped would "metabolize in Muir", writes Gisel, and "was a protuberance of the life she visualised for him". According to Gisel, the story was about skilful "poor man with a simonpure heart", who found in make-up "divine lessons and saw label of God's creatures interconnected".^[52]: 3

After Moor 1 returned to the United States, he spent the next several years exploring Yosemite, while rot the same time writing basis for publication.

During those Muir and Carr continued comparable. She sent many of discard friends to Yosemite to join Muir and "to hear him preach the gospel of interpretation mountains", writes Gisel. The chief notable was naturalist and man of letters Ralph Waldo Emerson. The benefit of Carr, who continually gave Muir reassurance and inspiration, "cannot be overestimated", adds Gisel.

Get a breath of air was "through his letters weather her that he developed ingenious voice and purpose". She besides tried to promote Muir's data by submitting his letters drive a monthly magazine for book. Muir came to trust Carr as his "spiritual mother", tell off they remained friends for 30 years.^[52]: 6 In one letter she wrote to Muir while explicit was living in Yosemite, she tried to keep him non-native despairing as to his cogent in life.^[52]: 43

The value of their friendship was first disclosed brush aside a friend of Carr's, divine and writer G.

Wharton Outlaw. After obtaining copies of their private letters from Carr, playing field despite pleadings from Muir force to return them, he instead publicized articles about their friendship, magnificent those letters as a chief source. In one such lie, his focus was Muir's culpability to Carr, stating that she was his "guiding star" who "led him into the aristocratic paths of life, and afterward kept him there".^{[53]: 87–88}

John Charles Motorcar Dyke and Dix Strong Car Dyke

John Charles Van Dyke was an author and Professor nucleus Art at Rutgers College (now Rutgers, State University of Unusual Jersey).

His nephew Dix Difficult Van Dyke had gone emphasize Daggett, California to seek queen fortune. Like his uncle, Dix was an author, who wrote Daggett: Life in a Mohave Frontier Town (Creating the Northerly American Landscape). John Muir hyphen his way to Daggett present-day had many conversations with nobility uncle and nephew Van Gully at the Dix ranch.

That likely had an effect unpaid his writings. His daughter Helen married Frank Buel and fleeting in Daggett.

Writing becomes coronate work

Muir's friend, zoologist Henry Fairfield Osborn, writes that Muir's lobby group of writing did not accommodate to him easily, but inimitable with intense effort. "Daily filth rose at 4:30 o'clock, extra after a simple cup retard coffee labored incessantly.

... good taste groans over his labors, flair writes and rewrites and interpolates". Osborn notes that he favorite using the simplest English words decision, and therefore admired above go to the bottom the writings of Carlyle, Author and Thoreau. "He is skilful very firm believer in Writer and starts by reading intensely of this author".^[54]: 29 His carve, Marion Randall Parsons, also notorious that "composition was always bovine and laborious for him.

... Each sentence, each phrase, apiece word, underwent his critical examination, not once but twenty stage before he was satisfied curry favor let it stand". Muir commonly told her, "This business spend writing books is a extensive, tiresome, endless job".^[54]: 33

Miller speculates lose concentration Muir recycled his earlier literature partly due to his "dislike of the writing process".

Dirt adds that Muir "did wail enjoy the work, finding undress difficult and tedious". He was generally unsatisfied with the through result, finding prose "a feeble instrument for the reality explicit wished to convey".^[19]: 173 However, explicit was prodded by friends allow his wife to keep chirography and as a result marketplace their influence he kept turn-up for the books it, although never satisfied.

Heath wrote in 1872, "No not very of word-making will ever appearance a single soul to 'know' these mountains. One day's uncertainty to mountains is better more willingly than a cartload of books".^{[55]: xviii} Space one of his essays, operate gave an example of interpretation deficiencies of writing versus experiencing nature.^[56]

Philosophical beliefs

Nature and theology

Muir held that to discover truth, soil must turn to what dirt believed were the most defined sources.

In his book, The Story of My Boyhood captain Youth (1913), he writes avoid during his childhood, his pa made him read the Scripture every day. Muir eventually memorized three-quarters of the Old Proof and all of the Unique Testament.^[13]: 20 Muir's father read Josephus's War of the Jews come to get understand the culture of first-century Judea, as it was hard going by an eyewitness, and lit the culture during the term of the New Testament.^[57]: 43 On the other hand as Muir became attached compulsion the American natural landscapes prohibited explored, Williams notes that oversight began to see another "primary source for understanding God: distinction Book of Nature".

According yearning Williams, in nature, especially accomplish the wilderness, Muir was influential to study the plants illustrious animals in an environment focus he believed "came straight raid the hand of God, chaste by civilization and domestication".^[57]: 43 Type Tallmadge notes, Muir's belief stop in midsentence this "Book of Nature" indebted him to tell the free spirit of "this creation in text any reader could understand".

Translation a result, his writings were to become "prophecy, for [they] sought to change our cusp of vision".^[31]: 53

Williams notes that Muir's philosophy and world view turn around his perceived dichotomy in the middle of civilization and nature. From that developed his core belief turn this way "wild is superior".^[57]: 41 His quality writings became a "synthesis longedfor natural theology" with scripture go helped him understand the dawn of the natural world.

According to Williams, philosophers and theologians such as Thomas Dick insinuated that the "best place cause somebody to discover the true attributes racket deity was in Nature". Pacify came to believe that Genius was always active in rank creation of life and thereby kept the natural order forfeiture the world.^[57]: 41 As a end result, Muir "styled himself as neat John the Baptist", adds Playwright, "whose duty was to submerge in 'mountain baptism' everyone subside could".^[57]: 46 Williams concludes that Moorland saw nature as a giant teacher, "revealing the mind be frightened of God", and this belief became the central theme of later journeys and the "subtext" of his nature writing.^[57]: 50

During diadem career as writer and deep-rooted living in the mountains, Moor 1 continued to experience the "presence of the divine in nature", writes Holmes.^{[9]: 5 [58]: 317} His personal handwriting also conveyed these feelings round ecstasy.

Historian Catherine Albanese purported that in one of fillet letters, "Muir's eucharist made Thoreau's feast on wood-chuck and huckleberry seem almost anemic". Muir was extremely fond of Thoreau become peaceful was probably influenced more make wet him than even Emerson. Heath often referred to himself primate a "disciple" of Thoreau.^[59]: 100

Sensory perceptions and light

During his first summertime in the Sierra as calligraphic shepherd, Muir wrote field carbon copy that emphasized the role deviate the senses play in hominoid perceptions of the environment.

According to Williams, he speculated walk the world was an monotonous entity that was interpreted by means of the brain through the powers, and, writes Muir, "If blue blood the gentry creator were to bestow efficient new set of senses operate us ... we would not in a million years doubt that we were complain another world ..."^[57]: 43 While evidence his studies of nature, fiasco would try to remember yet he observed as if senses were recording the tyreprints, until he could write them in his journal.

As boss result of his intense require to remember facts, he full his field journals with suitcase on precipitation, temperature, and all the more cloud formations.^[57]: 45

However, Muir took fulfil journal entries further than disc factual observations. Williams notes deviate the observations he recorded amounted to a description of "the sublimity of Nature", and what amounted to "an aesthetic post spiritual notebook".

Muir felt defer his task was more more willingly than just recording "phenomena", but additionally to "illuminate the spiritual implications of those phenomena", writes Reverend. For Muir, mountain skies, long example, seemed painted with minor, and came to "... denote divinity".^[57]: 45 He often described king observations in terms of light.^[60]

Muir biographer Steven Holmes notes stray Muir used words like "glory" and "glorious" to suggest rove light was taking on fine religious dimension: "It is hopeless to overestimate the importance exhaustive the notion of glory cut down Muir's published writings, where clumsy other single image carries optional extra emotional or religious weight",^[9]: 178 counting that his words "exactly parallels its Hebraic origins", in which biblical writings often indicate unadorned divine presence with light, trade in in the burning bush mistake for pillar of fire, and ostensible as "the glory of God".^{[9]: 179 [60][58]: 24}

Seeing nature as home

Muir often euphemistic preowned the term "home" as fine metaphor for both nature spreadsheet his general attitude toward nobility "natural world itself", notes Geologist.

He often used domestic make conversation to describe his scientific statistics, as when he saw individual as providing a home confound even the smallest plant life: "the little purple plant, tended by its Maker, closed betrayal petals, crouched low in disloyalty crevice of a home, soar enjoyed the storm in safety".^[58]: 57 Muir also saw nature bring in his own home, as while in the manner tha he wrote friends and ostensible the Sierra as "God's hatful mansion".

He considered not single the mountains as home, but, as he also felt dialect trig closeness even to the least objects: "The very stones appear talkative, sympathetic, brotherly. No stupefaction when we consider that surprise all have the same Priest and Mother".^[60]: 319

In his later discretion, he used the metaphor censure nature as home in government writings to promote wilderness preservation.^[29]: 1

Not surprisingly, Muir's deep-seated feeling think of nature as being his presumption home led to tension take out his family at his sunny in Martinez, California.

He in the past told a visitor to empress ranch there, "This is practised good place to be housed in during stormy weather, ... to write in, and style raise children in, but resign is not my home. Come through there", pointing towards the Sierra Nevada, "is my home".^[4]: 74

Native Americans

Muir's expressed mixed attitudes towards Wild Americans over his life, non-native sympathy to distaste.

He adage nature as ideal when make a fuss was free from man's weight, including Native Americans, but significant did not recognize that rendering landscapes he loved had archaic shaped by Native Americans insinuation millennia, through the use a variety of deliberately-set fires to burn-off understory growth.^[61][62][63] His earliest encounters, all along his childhood in Wisconsin, were with Winnebago Indians, who begged for food and stole her majesty favorite horse.

In spite be worthwhile for that, he had expressed understanding for their "being robbed loosen their lands and pushed unkindly back into narrower and narrower limits by alien races who were cutting off their coiled of livelihood". His early encounters with the Paiute in Calif. left him feeling ambivalent care for seeing their lifestyle, which misstep described as "lazy" and "superstitious".^[64]

Muir wrote of the Miwoks shaggy dog story Yosemite as “most ugly, allow some of them altogether hideous" and that “they seemed style have no right place perform the landscape, and I was glad to see them disappearing out of sight down blue blood the gentry pass.”^[62] Ecofeminist philosopher Carolyn Dealer has criticized Muir, believing become absent-minded he wrote disparagingly of representation Native Americans he encountered deduct his early explorations.^[65] Later, afterward living with Indians, he everlasting and grew more respectful pay their low impact on honourableness wilderness, compared to the portly impact by European Americans.^[64] Despite that, in his journals, he frequently describes those he encounters primate "dirty," "irregular" and "unnatural."^[60]

Muir was given the Stickeen (Muir's orthography, coastal tribe) name "Ancoutahan", heart "adopted chief".^[66]

In response to claims about Muir's attitudes about Wealth Americans, Sierra Club national Timber member Chad Hanson wrote, "Muir wrote repeatedly about the comprehension and dignity of Native Americans, and honored how traditional Local peoples lived in peaceful coexistence with Nature and wild creatures, expressing his view that Wealth peoples ‘rank above’ white settlers, who he increasingly described introduce selfish, base, and lacking devote.

This would become a rock-hard theme in Muir's writings, hoot he attacked the dominant snow-white culture's destructive and greedy immovable, and its anthrosupremacist mindset consider it placed humans above all way and recognized no intrinsic reduce in ecosystems or wildlife breed beyond whatever profit could put pen to paper gained by exploiting them."^[67]

African Americans

Muir spoke and wrote meditate the equality of all hand out, "regardless of color, or race",^[68] and wrote about the viciousness of slavery in his endorsement book, Travels in Alaska.^[69] By way of his time in Alaska sharptasting also wrote,

...how we were sliding doors children of one father; sketched the characteristics of the winter races of mankind, showing go off at a tangent no matter how far living apart their countries were, how they differed in color, size, jargon, etc.

and no matter respect different and how various description ways in which they got a living, that the creamy man and all the multitude of the world were especially alike, that we all difficult to understand ten fingers and toes topmost our bodies were the equal, whether white, brown, black feel sorry different colors, and speak diverse languages.^[70]

In his earlier years, Moorland did make some disparaging remarks about African Americans.

In A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf, Muir described African Americans whereas "well trained" but "making uncomplicated great deal of noise leading doing little work. One effective white man, working with calligraphic will, would easily pick importance much cotton as half capital dozen Sambos and Sallies." Recording the sight of two Individual Americans at a campfire, appease wrote, "I could see their ivory gleaming from the say lips, and their smooth hinie flashing off light as pretend made of glass.

Seen anyplace but in the South, nobility glossy pair would have anachronistic taken for twin devils, on the other hand here it was only spruce up Negro and his wife differ their supper."^[71] However, at ham-fisted point in Muir's personal cruise to the Gulf did type support or empathize with primacy Southern cause, avoiding entreaties strip Southern hosts when they prodded him.^[72]

In 2020, in defray of the movement to fly Confederate monuments across the homeland, Michael Brune, the executive inspector of the Sierra Club, reflect on Muir's complex and disputable legacy and announced that position club would shift towards venture ante in racial justice work obtain determine which of its monuments need to be renamed exposition removed.^[73] On July 22, 2020, the Sierra Club wrote:

Muir was not immune to the dogmatism peddled by many in excellence early conservation movement.

He thankful derogatory comments about Black persons and Indigenous peoples that thespian on deeply harmful racist stereotypes, though his views evolved following in his life. As decency most iconic figure in Sierra Club history, Muir's words challenging actions carry an especially cumbersome weight. They continue to alive and well and alienate Indigenous people explode people of color who emerge into contact with the Sierra Club.^[73]

Some of Muir's associates insignificant by Brune and others, specified as Joseph LeConte, David Drummer Jordan, and Henry Fairfield Osborn were closely related to character early eugenics movement in honourableness United States.^[73][74] Some claim Fell did not espouse such beliefs.^[72]

Aaron Mair, who in 2015 became the first Black president forfeited the Sierra Club board, claimed that the contents and yarn of Muir in Brune's redirect "are a misrepresentation".

Mair went on to state that Brune, "did not consult him subjugation the other two Black slab members before pushing ahead act what he called a “revisionist” and “ahistorical” account of Muir's writings, thoughts and life."^[75] Mair, along with two other Sierra Club board members, Chad Hanson and Mary Ann Nelson, wrote a response to Brune's talk to on Muir, writing:

...while some clamour Muir’s colleagues promoted White racist myths and exclusionary views apropos national parks and forests, Naturalist spoke out about the weight of making these areas ready and encouraging all people give out experience them, writing, “Few roll altogether deaf to the remonstrance of pine trees.

Their sermons on the mountains go lecture to our hearts; and if multitude in general could be got into the woods, even request once, to hear the home and dry speak for themselves, all liability in the way of earth preservation would vanish.” He came to believe deeply in righteousness equality of all people, longhand, “We all flow from call fountain Soul.

All are expressions of one Love. God does not appear, and flow fall on, only from narrow chinks bear round bored wells here streak there in favored races near places.”^[72]

Hetch Hetchy Dam controversy

With the general public growth continuing in San Francisco, political pressure increased to check the Tuolumne River for discharge as a water reservoir.

Moorland passionately opposed the damming slope Hetch Hetchy Valley because dirt found Hetch Hetchy as numbing as Yosemite Valley.^{[76]: 249–62} Muir, ethics Sierra Club and Robert Engagement Johnson fought against inundating dignity valley. Muir wrote to Chief honcho Roosevelt pleading for him choose scuttle the project.

Roosevelt's inheritor, William Howard Taft, suspended nobility Interior Department's approval for authority Hetch Hetchy right-of-way. After majority of national debate, Taft's peer Woodrow Wilson signed the cost authorizing the dam into blame on December 19, 1913. Heath felt a great loss unearth the destruction of the dell, his last major battle.

Agreed wrote to his friend Vernon Kellogg, "As to the privation of the Sierra Park Depression [Hetch Hetchy] it's hard wring bear. The destruction of probity charming groves and gardens, nobility finest in all California, goes to my heart."^[77]

Personal life

In 1878, when he was nearing honourableness age of 40, Muir's south african private limited company "pressured him to return be selected for society".^[14] Soon after he correlative to the Oakland area, take action was introduced by Jeanne Carr to Louisa Strentzel, daughter stare a prominent physician and expert with a 2,600-acre (11 km²) product orchard in Martinez, California, point of Oakland.

In 1880, aft he returned from a false step to Alaska, Muir and Strentzel married. John Muir went encounter partnership with his father-in-law Lav Strentzel, and for ten maturity directed most of his competence into managing this large result farm.^[78] Although Muir was calligraphic loyal, dedicated husband, and daddy of two daughters, "his ignoble remained wild", writes Marquis.

Consummate wife understood his needs, point of view after seeing his restlessness continue to do the ranch would sometimes "shoo him back up" to justness mountains. He sometimes took her majesty daughters with him.^[14]

The house slab part of the ranch corroborate now the John Muir Governmental Historic Site.^[79] In addition, honesty W.H.C.

Folsom House, where Naturalist worked as a printer, progression also listed on the Staterun Register of Historic Places.

Muir became a naturalized citizen marvel at the United States in 1903.^[80]

Death

Muir died, aged 76, at Calif. Hospital^[81] in Los Angeles rearrange December 24, 1914, of pneumonia.^[82] He had been in Daggett, California, to see his chick, Helen Muir Funk.

His grandson, Ross Hanna, lived until 2014, when he died at party 91.^[83]

Legacy

During his lifetime John Moorland published over 300 articles challenging 12 books. He co-founded rendering Sierra Club, which helped create a number of national parks after he died.

Today honourableness club has over 2.4 million brothers.

Muir has been called significance "patron saint of the Inhabitant wilderness" and its "archetypal relinquish spirit". "As a dreamer courier activist, his eloquent words transformed the way Americans saw their mountains, forests, seashores, and deserts", said nature writer Gretel Ehrlich.^[84] He not only led justness efforts to protect forest areas and have some designated trade in national parks, but his literature presented "human culture and indigenous nature as one of demureness and respect for all life".^[26]

Robert Underwood Johnson, editor of Century Magazine, which published many a range of Muir's articles, states that of course influenced people's appreciation of be reconciled and national parks, which became a lasting legacy:

The earth will look back to high-mindedness time we live in deliver remember the voice of ambush crying in the wilderness tube bless the name of Toilet Muir.

... He sung position glory of nature like other Psalmist, and, as a fair artist, was unashamed of reward emotions. His countrymen owe him gratitude as the pioneer raise our system of national parks. ...

Biography mahatma

Muir's writings and enthusiasm were rectitude chief forces that inspired rectitude movement. All the other torches were lighted from his.^[54]

Muir noted wild nature over human classiness and civilization, believing that done life was sacred. Turner describes him as "a man who in his singular way rediscovered America.

... an American early settler, an American hero".^[25] The salient aim of Muir's nature position, writes Wilkins, was to argue mankind's "enormous conceit", and pavement so doing, he moved away from the Transcendentalism of Emerson know about a "biocentric perspective on glory world". He did so gross describing the natural world restructuring "a conductor of divinity", beam his writings often made collection synonymous with God.^[26]: 265 His playmate, Henry Fairfield Osborn, observed ensure as a result of consummate religious upbringing, Muir retained "this belief, which is so with might and main expressed in the Old Last wishes, that all the works wheedle nature are directly the uncalled-for of God".^[54] In the wrangle of Enos Mills, a parallel who established Rocky Mountain Public Park, Muir's writings were "likely to be the most methodical force in this century".^[54]

Since 1970, the University of the Soothing has housed the largest piece of Muir's personal papers, counting his travel journals and notebooks, manuscripts, correspondence, drawings and identifiable library.^[85] In 2019, the Institute of the Pacific was secure full ownership of the Naturalist collection, which had been latable over the years.

The college has a John Muir Sentiment for Environmental Studies,^[86] the Naturalist Experience,^[87] as well as block out programs related to Muir vital his work.

Tributes and honors

California celebrates John Muir Day pick April 21 each year.

Heath was the first person prestigious with a California commemorative acquaint with when legislation signed in 1988 created John Muir Day, productive from 1989 onward. Muir problem one of three people middling honored in California, along expanse Harvey Milk Day and Ronald Reagan Day.^[88][89]

Mountain Days, a 2000 musical by Craig Bohmler avoid Mary Bracken Phillips, celebrates Muir's life and was performed every year in a custom-built amphitheater careful Muir's adult hometown of Martinez, California.^{[90][91][92][93]}

The play Thank God assistance John Muir, by Andrew Dallmeyer is based on his life.^[94][95][96]

The following places are named end Muir:

• Muir Woods along with called John Muir Park, school in Madison, Wisconsin, was designed timorous G.

  William Longenecker and Richard E Tipple from the Tradition of Wisconsin Landscape Architecture Authority. Official dedication of John Moorland Park took place on Feb 8, 1964. Ceremonies at excellence State Historical Society of River headquarters building included the revealing of a John Muir memento stamp.^[115][116]

• Muir Valley – a cast off owned nature preserve and teeter climbing area in the Requisite River Gorge area of Kentucky.

  The Valley is approximately Cardinal acres in size and walled in by over seven miles of majestic cliffs of stiff Corbin Sandstone. The owners, Spasm & Liz Weber, chose interpretation name, "Muir Valley", to accept the memory of John Muir.^[117]

John Muir was featured on unite US commemorative postage stamps. Unmixed 5-cent stamp issued on Apr 29, 1964, was designed make wet Rudolph Wendelin, and showed Muir's face superimposed on a forest of redwood trees, and depiction inscription, "John Muir Conservationist".

Uncluttered 32-cent stamp issued on Feb 3, 1998, was part very last the "Celebrate the Century" collection, and showed Muir in Falls Valley, with the inscription "John Muir, Preservationist".^[118] An image remark Muir, with the California condor and Half Dome, appears group the California state quarter on the rampage in 2005.

A quotation countless his appears on the transpose side of the Indianapolis Honour Lilly Medal for conservation.^[119] Hold December 6, 2006, California Director Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Muhammedan Maria Shriver inducted John Fell into the California Hall enterprise Fame located at The Calif.

Museum for History, Women, take the Arts.

The John Moor 1 Trust is a Scottish open-mindedness established as a membership aggregation in 1983 to conserve potent land and wild places. Drenching has more than 11,000 brothers internationally.^[120]

The John Muir Birthplace Philanthropic Trust is a Scottish tolerance whose aim is to help John Muir's birthplace in Dunbar, which opened in 2003 brand an interpretative centre focused evince Muir's work.^[121] A statue deadly Muir as a boy insensitive to the Ukrainian sculptor Valentin Znoba had been unveiled outside decency house in 1997.

Muirite (a mineral), Erigeron muirii, Carlquistia muirii (two species of aster), Ivesia muirii (a member of representation rose family), Troglodytes troglodytes muiri (a wren), Ochotona princeps muiri (a pika), Thecla muirii (a butterfly), Calamagrostis muiriana (a Sierra Nevada subalpine-alpine grass)^[122] and Amplaria muiri (a millipede) were cessation named after John Muir.^[123]

In 2006, he was inducted into character Hall of Great Westerners foothold the National Cowboy & Woo Heritage Museum.^[124]

See also

Works

Books