George+Perkins+Marsh



George Perkins Marsh(1801-1882) **Background Information:** George Perkins Marsh was born in Woodstock, Vermont in 1801. In 1861, President Lincoln appointed him United States minister to Italy. During his time in Italy, Marsh took trips to the Alps and studied glaciers, moraines, and avalanches. He saw first hand the effect of Alpine erosion and the effects of grazing and deforestation. After witnessing these things, he started writing the manuscript for his book Man and Nature.

**Contributions:** In his book, Man and Nature, George Perkins Marsh questioned the idea that our country's resources were inexhaustible, but most of his warnings were not taken seriously. His ideas did, however, spark the Arbor Day movement, the National Forest System, and the establishment of forest reserves. Marsh was both energetic and intelligent; it was these characteristics that led him to many different carees and projects, including the founding of the Smithsonian Institution. Marsh was considered to be America's first environmentalist. Why? Because he was the first to bring awareness to the detrimental impacts humans make on the environment. Though many did not understand or care about the importance of his warnings, his ideas have made an impact over time on how people view the environment. Marsh set the ball rolling for environmentalists to come by pointing out the importance of a balanced relationship between nature and society.

Unit 1 Introduction: C. Energy Consumption - History: Industrial Revolution, Exponential Growth, Energy Crises
 * Relation to AP Environmental Science: **

Sources: http://www.eoearth.org/article/Marsh,_George_Perkins http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=feature0308 []

By Marisa Myrick and Alicia Muncey