"John Muir (right) and Theodore Roosevelt (left)," photograph courtesy Library of Congress
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John Muir was one of the earliest conservationists. Raised by a Presbyterian minister Muir was highly religious. He broke from his traditional upbringing after a factory accident left him temporarily blind. Secluding himself in nature Muir developed a religious philosophy that understood god as being revealed through nature. This led him to work for the protection of national parks through literature and political activism. Muir pushed for protection of now famous national parks such as the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest in Arizona. Muir would influence President Theodore Roosevelt to create the National parks service along with protecting 230 Million acres of land.
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