john muir

John Muir worked to preserve wilderness in America. Born April 21, 1838(1838-04-21)

Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland Died December 24, 1914 (aged 76)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Occupation engineer, naturalist, writer Spouse(s) Louisa Wanda Strentzel (1847 - 1905) Children Wanda Muir Hanna (March 25, 1881–July 29, 1942) and Helen Muir Funk (January 23, 1886–June 7, 1964) Parents Daniel Muir and Ann Gilrye

John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of U.S. wilderness. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature and wildlife, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, have been read by millions and are still popular today. His direct activism helped to save the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. His writings and philosophy strongly influenced the formation of the modern environmental movement. Contents [hide] 1 Biography 2 Travels in the Northwest 3 From studying to protecting 3.1 Preservation efforts 3.2 Preservation vs conservation 3.3 Hetch Hetchy and death 4 Honors 5 Criticism 6 References 6.1 Primary sources 6.2 Secondary sources 7 See also 7.1 Other books 8 External links //

Biography

John Muir was born in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland to Daniel Muir and Ann Gilrye. He was one of eight children: Margaret, Sarah, David, Daniel, Ann and Mary (twins), and the American-born Joanna. In his autobiography, he described his boyhood pursuits, fighting (either by re-enacting romantic battles of Scottish history or just scrapping on the playground) and hunting for bird's nests (ostensibly to one-up his fellows as they compared notes on who knew where the most were located). Such pursuits would later prove formative to Muir's adult character. Entrance to Fountain Lake Farm near Portage, Wisconsin

In 1849 Muir's family emigrated to the United States, starting a farm near Portage, Wisconsin called Fountain Lake Farm, which is a National Historic Landmark.[1] Stephen Fox recounts that Muir's father found the Church of Scotland insufficiently strict in faith and practice, leading to their emigration and joining a congregation of the Campbellite Restoration Movement.

The author and professor Stephen Fox relates that, by age 11, young Muir had learned to recite “by heart and by sore flesh” all of the New Testament and most of the Old. But in maturity, Muir was never confused by orthodox beliefs. In a letter to his fond friend Emily Pelton of May 23, 1865, he wrote "I never tried to abandon creeds or code of civilization; they went away of their own accord ... without leaving any consciousness of loss." Elsewhere in his writings, he likened the conventional image of a Creator "as purely