Early voices
In the opening half of the 1800's the new nation of the United States, which had sprung from the Revolutionary War began to grow. The Louisiana Purchase would kick off the great westward push of Manifest Destiny and open new lands for farming, mining and trapping to the early Americans. As growth continued and new environments and beauty discovered, this served as a backdrop for new ideas concerning nature and man's place within it.

Writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson began to write of the beauty and personal discovery possible within the natural environment. These ideas formed the basis for the artistic and literary movement of Transcendentalism, which emphasized the depiction of natural beauty in artistic works. Also echoing these natural themes was the writer Henry David Thoreau, who in his 1854 work Walden, expressed mans place within nature. Thoreau demonstrated this harmony with man's environment by living two years in the solitude of Walden Pond, Massachusetts. The thoughts expressed by both writers served years later as influence upon a budding environmental movement within the United States.

American Industrialization and the Environment
The later half of the 19th century is often referred to as the "Gilded Age" of American history. The term, coined by Mark Twain, was a reference to the outwardly showy riches of the era, that merely coated a hollow and abusive interior. In this era prior to any government regulation, the environment was viewed merely as a tool for development, with lands and resources to be utilized in any manner necessary to fuel America's growing industrial capacity.

Pres. Theodore Roosevelt & The Conservation Movement
What was to become the Conservation Movement, was not so much born as evolved. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, not many politicians were willing to tackle the problems associated with regulating any aspect of the economy, least of all the resources that were seen as essential to continued industrial development and growth. However, the Progressive Movement was growing from the grassroots upward and environmental regulation, along with corporate regulation, governmental reforms as well as consumer and worker protections were focal points of this growing reform movement.

"Progressive" politicians such as Wisconsin Governor Robert M. La Follette, California Governor Hiram Johnson and then New York Governor (and later US President) Theodore Roosevelt lead the way in not only regulating business and industry, but in setting up environmental protections and preserving wild lands within their individual states. These initiatives would be translated onto a national scale following the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley when then Vice-President Teddy Roosevelt would ascend to the presidency (1901-1909), taking his conservation policies with him. In his successful 1904 reelection campaign, Roosevelt made environmental conservation a cornerstone of his "Square Deal" promise to the American worker, which also included consumer protection, business regulation and labor reforms.

Much of Roosevelt's thinking on conservation and the environment was influenced by his personal love of the outdoors as well as the writings of prominent naturalists Gifford Pinchot and John Muir. The influence of Muir is most pronounced, as Roosevelt followed his suggestions to put land under federal government control, a direct change from previous government policy against holding land that could be used for development. John Muir's influence is also seen in his founding of the Sierra Club, a continuing organization that is still very influential in national environmental policy and his aid in the creation of the Yosemite National Park.

The Environmental Movement in the Modern Era
A resurgence of attention and concern over the environment and management of resources occurred in the 1960's-1970's. Brought about in part due to the economic growth and increased environmental degradation of the 1950's and a heightened concerned about nature and the environment advocated by many within the "hippie" movement of the 1960's.

A “Silent Spring”
One of the most influential works of the 1960's environmental resurgence was the book Silent Spring by marine biologist Rachel Carson published in 1962. In her novel Carson warned of a "silent spring" in which all birds had been killed. She attacked the growing use of pesticides in farming, especially the then-popular pesticide DDT which would be banned from use in 1972.

Congress Regulates the Air
Prodded into action in part by strong public reaction to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Congress began pass legislation protecting the environment and human health. The first significant legislation in this regard was the 1963 Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act regulated automobile emissions for the first time and placed further restrictions on industrial pollutants.
A second 1970 Clean Air Act was passed further restricting industrial pollution and requiring automakers to reduce emissions to 10%. Auto emission standards were achieved by switching from leaded to unleaded gasoline and the addition of catalytic converters to all US automobiles.

Earth Day
April 22, 1970 was designated the first "Earth Day" celebration. The nation-wide effort was designed to raise awareness and concern among Americans for environmental issues such as toxic wastes, air and water quality, and environmental pollution.

Nixon Creates the EPA
In 1970 President Richard Nixon consolidated many federal agencies with regulation over environmental issues into what became the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The new federal agency was given powers to regulate pollution levels, enforce federal environmental protection law and conduct research into environmental pollution and solutions.

1970’s Energy Concerns and the Environment
Several energy related challenges during the 1970's, such as the OPEC Oil Embargos, forced America to explore other approaches to fulfilling the nation's energy demands. The concerns now was to continue the hard won environmental protections while increasing access to energy resources.

In the mid-70's construction was begun on the Alaskan Oil Pipeline, which carries oil from reserves in Alaska to warm ports 800 miles south. The pipeline raised environmental concerns about harming the pristine Alaskan environment, and in reaction millions of acres of land were set aside as national monuments, conserving them for future generations.

In 1974 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was created to oversee the nuclear power industry, which was growing in response to the demand for alternative fuels. In 1977 President Jimmy Carter created the cabinet-level Department of Energy to coordinate American energy concerns. The protests against nuclear energy reached their peak following the partial meltdown of a reactor at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant in 1979. After the evacuation of the area and the ensuing debate over nuclear policies, the NRC increased safety requirements and the government greatly limited new nuclear power plant construction.

Modern Day Efforts
In the 1980's and 1990's environmental concerns played a larger role than ever in the politics and everyday lives of Americans. The most significant environmental initiative of the past 20 years has been the widespread adoption of recycling. Unlike the initiatives Americans saw during the two world wars, recycling of glass, paper and metal in the United States has been introduced with an eye on conserving resources, not for war but for other needs and future generations.

The use of state and federal governments Superfund monies have also helped to rehabilitate lands once deemed unusable due to industrial pollution. The Superfund requires companies to aid in the cost of environmental cleanup, even if their actions were legal at the time, or the site has been closed for sometime.