Lincoln did one very important thing for what would eventually become a part of “America’s Best Idea”.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley Grant Act, Senate Bill 203, on June 30, 1864. The legislation gave California the Yosemite Valley and the nearby Mariposa Big Tree Grove “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.”
The Act represents the first time the federal government acted to protect and preserve scenic lands. Conservationists persuaded Senator John Conness of California to introduce a bill to keep Yosemite Valley from being ruined by increasing commerce and tourism.
Thanks, Bryan, for drawing out the living thread that connects these two. It would be nice to know of them conversing on the natural world, but stitching them together with Mallards and Red Admirables is lovely.
Fascinating. I’ve never heard them called Red Admirable, obviously a name that has fallen out of common use. I wondered where Darwin would have seen a Great Egret or Osprey, both, I imagine, would have been very rare then. I wondered about Barn Owl as an alternative?
Alfred Russel Wallace is buried not a mile from where I’m sitting. His grave is something to behold. I still think it was Alfred rather than Charles that should have been lauded for the theory of evolution by natural selection, though, at the time Alfred seems to have been more interested in getting out there and studying in the field.
Thanks for another intriguing post. In the UK we are now in line with the term Red Admiral, abbreviated from the original. Darwin and Lincoln would probably have known the butterfly by those slightly different names. And recognised the foodstuff of their caterpillar, the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).
What an interesting idea for a book to examine. The whole idea is at least to me, an original one: to explore the linkages between contemporaneous historical figures and the one thing such persinages would haved shared in common- aspects of the natural world they would or might have encountered.
Lincoln is my hero. I think him America's greatest president and as close to a political saint as the country has yet produced. At one time I had at least forty books on him in my library, more than any other president except FDR. The books covered every aspect of Lincoln's life, family and friends, writings, famous speeches, melancholia, rise to power, diplomacy... nothing seems to have escaped the Lincoln historian academy's gaze. Except what you brought forth: his relation to nature.
Maybe there is not enough in the record, or maybe the scholars and admirers didn't consider it important, but I think it's a conspicuous void in the studies of great political figures (although such studies have been done for both FDR and TR.) It reflects our own scale of what's important to examine..our relations to each other and society, Nature hasn't historically been invited to the party.
This was great, thank you. One other insect might have been a Wandering Glider, of course (though Darwin wouldn’t have seen it in England but in lots of other places!). I wonder if one saw them in urban areas in the 19th century as often as we do now?
This birthday celebration is simply a wonderful speculation to wake up to this morning. Wish I knew more from earlier education. I use the word knew instead of remember, as education was not this thoughtful. Never too late. Hypothetical speculation works for me. Thanks!
What a delightful piece. Thanks for yet another one, Bryan. The coincidence of these two men's birthdays is quite wonderful. I'd also like to respond to Michael's comment about the "conspicuous void in the studies of great political figures" when it comes to nature. This isn't actually the case as it relates to the founding fathers, especially Washington and Jefferson. Relatively recently Andrea Wulf's Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation is a fascinating study of these men and their relationship to nature.
Soooo....this is what I did with your bulleted footnotes. I noticed that Lincoln's mother's maiden name is Hanks. So I immediately, like a school girl, Googled whether Tom Hanks is related to Abe Lincoln. Well, guess what?!!
A skilled surgeon or seamstress can throw stitches which pull the edges of things neatly together. You have done it here with an ease and skill that is an absolute pleasure to behold. Love this!
Lincoln did one very important thing for what would eventually become a part of “America’s Best Idea”.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley Grant Act, Senate Bill 203, on June 30, 1864. The legislation gave California the Yosemite Valley and the nearby Mariposa Big Tree Grove “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.”
The Act represents the first time the federal government acted to protect and preserve scenic lands. Conservationists persuaded Senator John Conness of California to introduce a bill to keep Yosemite Valley from being ruined by increasing commerce and tourism.
Thanks, Bryan, for drawing out the living thread that connects these two. It would be nice to know of them conversing on the natural world, but stitching them together with Mallards and Red Admirables is lovely.
Fascinating. I’ve never heard them called Red Admirable, obviously a name that has fallen out of common use. I wondered where Darwin would have seen a Great Egret or Osprey, both, I imagine, would have been very rare then. I wondered about Barn Owl as an alternative?
Alfred Russel Wallace is buried not a mile from where I’m sitting. His grave is something to behold. I still think it was Alfred rather than Charles that should have been lauded for the theory of evolution by natural selection, though, at the time Alfred seems to have been more interested in getting out there and studying in the field.
Thanks for another intriguing post. In the UK we are now in line with the term Red Admiral, abbreviated from the original. Darwin and Lincoln would probably have known the butterfly by those slightly different names. And recognised the foodstuff of their caterpillar, the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).
What an interesting idea for a book to examine. The whole idea is at least to me, an original one: to explore the linkages between contemporaneous historical figures and the one thing such persinages would haved shared in common- aspects of the natural world they would or might have encountered.
Lincoln is my hero. I think him America's greatest president and as close to a political saint as the country has yet produced. At one time I had at least forty books on him in my library, more than any other president except FDR. The books covered every aspect of Lincoln's life, family and friends, writings, famous speeches, melancholia, rise to power, diplomacy... nothing seems to have escaped the Lincoln historian academy's gaze. Except what you brought forth: his relation to nature.
Maybe there is not enough in the record, or maybe the scholars and admirers didn't consider it important, but I think it's a conspicuous void in the studies of great political figures (although such studies have been done for both FDR and TR.) It reflects our own scale of what's important to examine..our relations to each other and society, Nature hasn't historically been invited to the party.
Bryan, do you or does anyone else know what Bluebirds eat in the winter if they are not feed mealworms by well-meaning Bb enthusiasts?
Thanks!
This was great, thank you. One other insect might have been a Wandering Glider, of course (though Darwin wouldn’t have seen it in England but in lots of other places!). I wonder if one saw them in urban areas in the 19th century as often as we do now?
This birthday celebration is simply a wonderful speculation to wake up to this morning. Wish I knew more from earlier education. I use the word knew instead of remember, as education was not this thoughtful. Never too late. Hypothetical speculation works for me. Thanks!
The Cherry Trees in D.C. are from Japan. If the Red Admiral did not co-evolve with that tree species, would it be attracted to the nectar?
What a delightful piece. Thanks for yet another one, Bryan. The coincidence of these two men's birthdays is quite wonderful. I'd also like to respond to Michael's comment about the "conspicuous void in the studies of great political figures" when it comes to nature. This isn't actually the case as it relates to the founding fathers, especially Washington and Jefferson. Relatively recently Andrea Wulf's Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation is a fascinating study of these men and their relationship to nature.
Bryan, today's piece is more whimsical and speculative than usual but no less informative or interesting. Nice to see this side of you in print.
I love this idea & your species choices. Encounters with animals like a fox or an egret do have an ageless, universal feel.
In return for all your wonderful posts, I thought that every once in awhile a reader can reciprocate with
‘a little gift’ ;
https://fatfinch.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/abraham-lincoln-and-birds/
Soooo....this is what I did with your bulleted footnotes. I noticed that Lincoln's mother's maiden name is Hanks. So I immediately, like a school girl, Googled whether Tom Hanks is related to Abe Lincoln. Well, guess what?!!
A skilled surgeon or seamstress can throw stitches which pull the edges of things neatly together. You have done it here with an ease and skill that is an absolute pleasure to behold. Love this!