How Did Theodore Roosevelt Influence John Muir

During his presidency in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became highly influenced by

John Muir’s conservation research and efforts. The first National Park they created was

Yosemite. The two influential leaders would go on to use their influence and power to create National Parks in America thereby paving the way for conservation and wilderness protection.

John Muir didn’t just conserve land to conserve it. He started conservation because he became politically protective over Yosemite after getting threatened by commercial developments. Muir and Roosevelt met in 1903 when Roosevelt went to go visit Muir in Yosemite. Muir the naturalist-guided President Roosevelt through the

Yosemite wilderness on a three-day camping trip. Roosevelt fell in love with

Muir was driven to learn almost everything he could about the world unaltered by man or machine after he was nearly blinded in an industrial accident. He studied natural

1 Theodore Roosevelt- Influential People in the Life of John Muir https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/people/roosevelt.aspx 2 science at the university of Wisconsin but left before he could graduate. His prior success left him to be successful in conservation work.

In 1868 Muir visited Yosemite for the first time. He came back the following year and found work as a ranch hand. Then, the next year he landed a shepherding job. Muir would guide the flock of 2,000 sheep to the Tuolmne Medows. He would study the flora and fauna and sketch the mountain scenery.2 After the shepherd job, Muir found regular work at a sawmill alongside present-day Lower Yosemite Fall. While working at the sawmill for 2 years, he started building his own Yosemite Creek cabin. James Mason

Hutchings, the owner of the sawmill, was bothered by Muir’s newfound prominence as a

Yosemite spokesman. Hutchings financed himself the definitive authority on the subject.

Muir’s temper flared and quit the sawmill in 1871. Two months later after quitting,

His sketches were made where he was at that time of day. This acted as his journal each day. Roosevelt became president and used that power to help

Muir make it easier to establish more conservation faster. Both were stopping commercial development from destroying beautiful wildlife. These short-term impacts were such as how the development had to find a different place to build each time. That would take time because you had to find the right spot to where people might move.

The positive long-term impacts were that John Muir made Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount

Rainier, and the Grand Canyon all National parks.9 He conserved over 2.529 million acres of public land. He also is the founder of the Sierra Club. This club protects land before it goes into the hands of development. Muir educated Americans about the value of wilderness advocacy so that more Americans would educate each other on such an

9 John Muir National Historica Site https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/jomu/legacy.html#:~:text=In%201903%2C%20Roosevelt%20visited %20Muir,national%20monuments%20during%20his%20presidency.

8 The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America p.770

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important topic. Roosevelt established 150 National Forests, 5 National Parks,