Preserving the Nation: The Conservation and Environmental Movements 1870 - 2000
In the popular imagination, the roots of environmentalism lie  in actions undertaken at the beginning of the twentieth century to conserve  the nation's natural resources and preserve its scenic wonders. To some  extent, those who have chronicled environmentalism have reinforced this  perception, often writing about the heroes who helped create national parks  and save forests rather than considering fundamental trends. Although most  make some mention of reformers who stressed curbing pollution and urban  clean-up in the period after 1945, environmental histories rarely integrate  the three strands of the movement into one comprehensive study.In Preserving the Nation, Thomas Wellock explores the international, rural,  and industrial roots of modern environmentalism that emerged in the last  half of the nineteenth century--three related movements in response to a  rapidly expanding economy and population that depleted the nation's  resources, damaged land in rural areas, and blighted cities. The first  group favored the conservation and efficient management of natural  resources for production. The second, the preservationists, sought to  protect scenic and wilderness areas and to sustain the spirit of the  nation's pioneer heritage and virility. The third group, the urban  environmentalists, sought reform to control industrial pollution and retard  urban decay. Politically powerful and widely admired, resource management  overshadowed the other two movements until the 1950s. After World War II,  the two less-powerful strands of the movement, preservationism and urban  environmentalism, wove into one, as the accelerating effects of affluence,  scientific discovery, Cold War concerns, and suburbanization led the public  to value outdoor amenities and a healthy environment. This renamed  "environmental" movement focused less on efficient use of resources and  more on creating healthy ecosystems and healthy people free of risks from  pollution and hazardous wastes. By 1970, environmentalism enjoyed  widespread popular support and bipartisan appeal.What all three movements always shared was a common recognition of the  limits of America's natural resources and environment, a belief in  preserving them for generations to come, and a faith in at least some  government environmental action rather than relying purely on private  solutions. Not only does the history of these movements bring to light much  about the expanding role of government in environmental regulation and the  growth of the modern American state, but a look at environmental campaigns  over the course of the twentieth century reveals a great deal about the  racial, gender, and class divisions at work in the ongoing efforts to  preserve the environment.Accessible, insightful, and highly affordable, Preserving the Nation is a  thought-provoking history of environmental politics."Preserving the Nation is by far the best survey we have of the history of  environmental activism.  Wellock has a knack for getting to the heart of  issues.  This should be a great book for students.  And for scholars -- even though I'm familiar with almost all of the works he  draws on, Wellock taught me a lot!"Adam Rome, Penn State University