Who was John Muir?

He was a farmer, inventor, botanist, geologist, explorer, mountaineer, writer and pioneer of nature conservation.

John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland, on 21st April 1838. As a child he developed a deep love of the natural world. This grew into a lifelong journey, both physical and spiritual, of exploration, revelation, hardship and wonder. John Muir was an inventor, a botanist, a geologist, a glaciologist, a mountaineer, a farmer and an artist. He achieved fame as a best-selling writer, explorer and environmental campaigner. His introduction to Yosemite Valley, California, resulted in his campaign to preserve wilderness for wilderness’ sake. This led to the establishment of the world’s first national park system. Today he is remembered as a pioneer of the modern conservation movement. More than a century on, his ideas are more relevant than ever, and John Muir continues to inspire people all over the world.

However, some of John’s writing about the people he met contains derogatory descriptions of people of colour and amplifies or uses racist stereotypes which society now understands are unacceptable. His admiration for indigenous communities, for their light ecological footprint and careful stewardship of the land is also evident from his writing. We are working to consider how we meaningfully acknowledge and address this complexity through the interpretation at his Birthplace. To do this we are taking inspiration from other institutions globally that are working to preserve historical detail in context while promoting inclusivity. This includes how we can best give space to diverse voices that have been omitted from the story of John Muir, the world that he lived in and his legacy.

John Muir’s legacy, vision and advocacy for nature continue to have relevance in modern environmental campaigning. This is inspiring our work to better interpret and communicate around the climate and nature emergencies which affect us all. We would welcome your thoughts and feedback as we make changes to ensure that our work is accurate, inclusive and supports greater awareness about all aspects of John Muir’s legacy. We know that to do this properly will take time, research, sensitivity and consultation. If you have any comments or suggestions, please get in touch at museumseast@eastlothian.gov.uk.

References

The John Muir Trust’s statement on John Muir: https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/about-us/about-john-muir

The Sierra Club statement on John Muir: Sierra Club Founders | Sierra Club

Important events in John Muir’s life:

1838   John is born in Dunbar on 21st April

1841   Goes to Davel Brae School

1849   Leaves Dunbar and begins his new life, farming in Wisconsin, America

1850   Gets up at 1am to read and build his inventions

1860   Leaves home to show his inventions at Madison State Fair, Wisconsin

1861   Starts classes at the University of Wisconsin

1864   Travels to Canada, finds work as an engineer

1867   Sets out on 1000 mile walk to Gulf of Mexico

1868   First visit to Yosemite Valley, California

1879   First trip to the glaciers of Alaska

1880   Marries Louie Strenzel. Adventures with Stickeen in Alaska

1881   Daughter Wanda is born

1886   Daughter Helen is born

1890   Yosemite becomes a National Park

1892   John and his friends start the Sierra Club

1893   Travels around Europe, and visits Dunbar while in Scotland

1894   First book published – ‘The mountains of California’

1895   Trip to Europe and visits Dunbar

1903   World tour, including Europe, Asia, Far East, Australia and New Zealand

1911   Tour of South America, including the Amazon, and Africa

1914   John dies of pneumonia in hospital in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve