Yellowstone National Park, created in 1872, was the first significant step in government legislation beginning to protect the environment. Though Ulysses S. Grant created Yellowstone, it was Theodore Roosevelt who really got the environmental ball rolling. Theodore Roosevelt led an amazing life, and his environmental efforts drastically shifted the course of our nation, possibly forever.
Theodore Roosevelt led an inspiring life, from childhood to death. Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, in Manhattan, New York. He was born into a wealthy family with three siblings, and suffered many illnesses as a child, including asthma. As a teenager, however, Roosevelt overcame his sickly childhood and fell in love with a life of adventure. Theodore had a varied educational career; he was tutored at home as a young boy, graduated from Harvard where “he studied a variety of subjects, including German, natural history, zoology, forensics, and composition” (Milkis). Roosevelt was inspired to conserve the environment after witnessing the loss of species and habitats firsthand while living as a rancher, hunter, and sheriff in the North Dakota
…show more content…
Roosevelt created 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, 4 national game preserves, 5 national parks, and 18 national monuments. A few examples of parks that Roosevelt created include: Crater Lake National Park, Wind Cave National Park, and the Mesa Verde National Park. His work truly impacted America’s view of environmentalism. This was really when the federal government began stepping in to protect, conserve, and efficiently use our national resources. This new take on the environment continues and even strengthens today, with federal laws, legislation, and regulations protecting more than just land. Thanks to Theodore Roosevelt, the people of America today can enjoy seemingly plentiful resources, the ‘great outdoors’, and much