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
