John Muir 1838-1914
Protector of American Land
John Muir (myur) grew up in Wisconsin. He spent his life exploring and writing about the land of North America. Muir hiked all over the United States. Once, he walked from Indiana to Florida. As he hiked around the country, he taught himself about the plants and rocks he saw.
Of all the lands he visited, the deep forests of northern California were closest to his heart. Muir wanted to protect the mountains, valleys, and forests of California from construction and pollution. Muir won support from Congress and from President Theodore Roosevelt. His work led to the protection of millions of acres of land, and to the creation of two national parks in California: Yosemite (yo SEHM ih tee) and Sequoia (sih KWOY uh). Muir's work continues today through the Sierra Club, a conservation group that he started.
Critical Thinking
Why is John Muir's work important to life in the United States?