Environmental History: Learning
from the Past
G. Tyler Miller’s
Living in the Environment
14th Edition
Chapter 2
What you will learn in this chapter?
• How hunter-gatherer societies, agricultural
societies, and industrialized societies impacted
the environment. What will the impact be of
today’s globalization and information society?
• What are the major phases in the history of
land and wildlife conservation, public health,
and environmental protection in the US.
Key Concepts
Three Major “Revolutions”
in Human Culture
U.S. Environmental History
Tribal and Frontier Era
Early Conservation Era
The Environmental Era
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
Hunter-Gatherer Culture
 Hunter-gatherers: “modern humans” (homo sapiens
sapiens) have existed about the last 60,000 years. Until 12,000
years ago we were mostly hunter-gatherers.
 Nomadic: seasonal movement: lived in small
who worked together to find food and survive.
 Usually limited environmental impact:
very little environmental impact because they moved around
in such small groups.
Life expectancy: 30-40 years, needed to constantly
move looking for food, water and shelter.
Hunter-Gatherer Culture
Often survived by being
experts on the land and
their natural
surroundings.
Advanced hunter-gatherers
had a greater
environmental impact
with tools and fire.
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Agricultural Revolution
Agriculture: about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago (end
of last ice age) agricultural settlements began to spring up.
Domesticating wild plants and animals.
Quality of Life: people lived longer and better
lives with a more consistent food supply.
Environmental Impact: was not large. Their
dependence on human muscle power and crude tools while
they cultivated small areas.
Slash and Burn Cultivation
The Agricultural Revolution: Increased
Impact on Environment
Slash and Burn did destroy local environment,
but was usually very small and had a limited
impact.
Still a problem
in some parts
of developing
World. (Amazon)
The Agricultural Revolution: Trade offs
from page 23
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Industrial-Medical Revolution
Industrial Revolution (mid-1700’s):




began in England and spread to US in the 1800s
people lived longer and healthier
environmental degradation increased
factory towns sprung up, less people needed to farm
The Industrial-Medical Revolution: A
shift to nonrenewable resources
A shift took place where
humans moved from
relying on wood and
flowing water to a
dependence on
machines run by
nonrenewable fossil
fuels (first coal, then
later oil and natural gas)
The Industrial-Medical Revolution: Dramatic
Increase in Environmental Impact
• Factory towns grew
polluted, noisy and very
hazardous. (air
pollution, water
pollution, toxics)
• Coal smoke filled cities.
• Fossil fuels powered
larger farm machines
for larger farms.
The Industrial-Medical Revolution: Trade
Offs page 23
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Information/Globalization Revolution
Information Revolution: Since the 1950s
we have moved towards technologies to share information
rapidly on a global scale.
Global access to information can help us
understand and respond to environmental
problems, but can lead to information
overload.
What will it mean for future environmental
protections? Global Environmental Problems
The Information/Globalization
Revolution: Trade Offs Page 24
Environmental History of the United
States: The Tribal Eras
 Tribal Era: Native Americans
 Native Americans caused some extinctions, but
generally were low-impact hunter-gather or
agricultural societies
 Frontier Environmental Worldview:
European Settlement (1607-1890)
 Significant impact as wilderness frontier
was “tamed”
Environmental History of the United States:
The Tribal Era, Native Americans
• During the tribal era
(prior to 1600s for last
10,000 years)
• 5-10 million people
• Hunter-gatherers
• Small agriculture
• Mostly a deep respect
for the land and low
environmental impact.
• No land ownership
Environmental History of the United
States: The Frontier Era
• 1607-1890 European
settlers
• Viewed continent as
having limitless
resources
• “Wilderness” was to be
tamed
• Urged people to spread
across land
• “Frontier” CLOSED in
1890
Sections 1 and 2 Review
• What major human cultural changes have taken place
and how have they impacted the environment?
• Describe hunter-gather, agricultural, industrial, and
globalization societies. List several trade offs of each.
• When did humans begin to shift away from
renewable resources?
• Describe slash and burn techniques.
• How did the impact on the US environment shift
from tribal to frontier times. Describe both eras.
Chapter 2 Sections 3,4 Key Ideas
• What are the major phases in the history of
land and wildlife conservation, public health,
and environmental protections in the United
States.
• Who were some of the main individuals who
affected environmental policy in the US over
the last 2 centuries?
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
1832-1870 as the
frontier of US was
getting crowded the
“Early Conservation
Era” began.
California Gold Rush
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
Period: 1832-1960
Concern over resource use
Preservation of public lands
Public health initiatives
Environmental restoration projects
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
Concern over resource use: a few
people began to warn we were degrading
the environment.
Water quality in cities declined as forests cut
down upstream
Frontier became “crowded” with people
moving westward.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
Preservation of public lands:
between 1870 and 1930 newly formed citizen
groups and the government began to protect
our nation’s natural resources.
Forest Preservation Act of 1891
1905 Antiquities Act
1890 Yosemite
National Park
1916 National Park
Service Act
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
Henry David Thoreau: an American
writer who was alarmed by the loss of wild
places in the northeastern US. (1817-62)
George Perkins Marsh: a scientist and
member of Congress helped legislators see
need for resource conservation. Questioned
whether our nation’s resources were
inexhaustible. (1801-1882)
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
John Muir (1838•
•
•
•
1914)
Geologist, writer,
inventor
Founder of the Sierra
Club
Spent years lobbying
to protect land
Help get Yosemite
National Park created.
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
Theodore Roosevelt: his term in office
1901-1909 called the Golden Age of
Conservation.
Most environmentalists view Teddy
Roosevelt as the best environmental
President.
Gifford Pinchot: (1865-1946) was first
head of the US Forest Service, which was
created in 1905 to manage and protect forests.
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
• During the economic depression of the 1930s
the government bought land and hired workers
to restore degraded environment, build dams
for electricity.
• World Wars and post economic
boom little changed in
environmental protections.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
Period: 1960-Today: the modern
environmental movement began and more
citizens urged government to improve
environmental quality. Environmental
Awakening.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
The environmental movement: citizens
began to organize in the 1960s and 1970s to
demand political leaders protect public health
and environment. (1964 Wilderness Act)
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
Rachel Carson (19071964):
• Documented the
pollution in the air,
water and wildlife
from DDT pesticide.
• Created a wake-up call
that environment was
in danger.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
The science of ecology: between 1965 and
1970 the science of ecology emerged awakening
people to the interconnections among
population growth, resource use and pollution.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
Spaceship Earth Worldview: 1969 Apollo
Mission to moon sent back pictures of earth floating
in the black void of space. Reminded everyone of the
need to protect our home.
Environmental Era 1970s
April 20, 1970 First Earth Day
1970 Environmental Protection Agency Created
1973 Endangered Species Act
1977 Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act
1980 Superfund Law
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
1980’s: backlash against environmentalism
An anti-environmental movement formed to
weaken or do away with many environmental laws
passed in the 1960s and 1970s.
Ronald Reagan: advocated
less environmental regulations,
appointed industry members to
key posts and cut funding for
EPA.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
1990’s: environmental awareness:
since the 1990s environmentalist have spent most
of their time trying to fight any weakening of
environmental laws passed in the 1960s and
1970s.
Chapter 2 Sections 3,4,5 Review
• Describe the early conservation era.
• List and describe several key individuals who
impacted the environmental movement.
• Who was Rachel Carson and John Muir?
• When was the “Golden Age of Conservation?”
• What happened between 1832-1870?
• What happened during the 1960s and 1970s?
• What is the spaceship earth worldview?
• List some important milestones of the 1970s.
• What has been going on with the environmental
movement since the 1980s and 1990s?