Collection
American Visions: How Early Environmentalists in the New Nation Predicted Earth Day
The first voices in American environmental thought emerged in the first half of the 19th century. Susan Fenimore Cooper and George Perkins Marsh wrote with love of the American landscape, warned of its spoliation, and recommended changes farmers could make to slow the destruction of woodlands and the warming of the climate. Thoreau would surely be pleased — and surprised — to see Walden, his book of quiet adventure, barely acknowledged when it was published in 1855, radiate such an influence around the world. For more on these and other influencers of the era, visit American Visions: https://visions.newamericanhistory.org/.
Writer Susan Fenimore Cooper documented life around her home in rural New York, observing how—by the 1840s—humans had already degraded the natural environment as she imagined more sustainable paths. View this American Visions video interpretation then explore the Bunk connections to this excerpt. Video: https://visions.newamericanhistory.org/#susan-fenimore-cooper Explore the Bunk Connections with this excerpt and share your reflections with a classmate or neighbor.
Susan Fenimore Cooper's book, Rural Hours, published in 1850, is now recognized as a pioneering work of American environmental writing. Growing from her close attention to the changes over a year in the landscape around Cooperstown, NY and written in an appealing voice, Rural Hours has won belated admiration. This installment in Ed Ayers' Travelogue series is included in the American Journey series here on Bunk. We hope you'll check it out and explore the writings of Cooper and others.
Susan Fenimore Cooper, George Frederick Marsh, and Henry David Thoreau are just a few of the voices of early American environmentalists featured in American Visions and this Travelogue series. Explore the series via Bunk, including the Bunk Places feature mapping the journey. Bunk Places: https://www.bunkhistory.org/places/browse?type=ideas&id=6644 What other Bunk connections did you find most interesting for this and other entries in the Travelogue?
Thoreau asked Ralph Waldo Emerson for permission to build a small house on a worn-out and cut-over piece of land at Walden Pond that Emerson purchased on a whim. Thoreau lived there for 2 years, determined to confront life as directly as possible. He didn't cut himself off from his family and friends, but he did come to know the pond and its environs with a unique intimacy. What might we learn from Thoreau's notebooks? This excerpt gives new insights and connections.
"The pond is a glacier-created lake of striking clarity and cleanliness. Abby and I were surprised to see people swimming far out in the water, attached to red buoys for visibility and rest. We walked around the pond to the site of Thoreau’s house and found ourselves alone at Thoreau Cove. The sun penetrated the water, ripples reflecting on the smooth and sandy bottom. We removed our shoes to feel the warmth and welcome the water offered."—Ed Ayers, American Journey https://bit.ly/NAHWalden
The writings of George Perkins Marsh and Henry David Thoreau influenced W.E.B. Du Bois. What connections do you see in this excerpt? Explore their writing on the American Visions Original Sources page: https://visions.newamericanhistory.org/sources Explore this Bunk tag for current connections to Earth Day! https://www.bunkhistory.org/tags/ideas/earth-day