First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. Environmental Movement

by Benjamin Kline

Overview

First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. Environmental Movement provides students with a balanced, historical perspective on the history of the environmental movement in relation to major social and political events in U.S. history, from the pre-colonial era to the present. The book highlights important people and events, places critical concepts in context, and shows the impact of government, industry, and population on the American landscape.

Comprehensive yet brief, First Along the River discusses the religious and philosophical beliefs that shaped Americans' relationship to the environment, traces the origins and development of government regulations that impact Americans' use of natural resources, and shows why popular environmental groups were founded and how they changed over time.

The fifth edition includes up-to-date coverage of the environmental movement and developments including an overview of environmental issues since 2012, environmental policies impacted by the Trump administration, the coronavirus pandemic, and the switch back to a more global perspective under the Biden administration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538159330
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/06/2022
Edition description:	Fifth Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.01(w) x 9.09(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Benjamin Kline is professor in both the Social Science and Intercultural Studies Divisions at De Anza College.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

1. Philosophical Foundations 5

2. The 1400s through the 1700s: Inhabiting a New Land 17

3. The Early 1800s: Destroying the Frontier 29

4. The Late 1880s: Building an Industrial Nation 43

5. The 1900s through the 1930s: Beginnings of the Conservation Movement 59

6. The 1940s through the 1960s: Prelude to the Green Decade 79

7. The 1970s: The Conservation Movement Matures 95

8. The 1980s: A Conservative Backlash 113

9. The Early 1990s: Government Retrenchment and Public Apathy 129

10. The Late 1990s: The Institutionalization of

11. The Environmental Movement in the Post-9/11 World: 2000–2010 171

12 A Nation Divided: 2011–2020 189

Conclusion 217

Glossary 221

Bibliography and Suggested Readings 237

Index 245

What People are Saying About This

John Stoll

A truly unique work, accessible to all, that demonstrates the common property nature of our global environment and its unwitting exploitation in the not so common interest. A good U.S. environmental history supplement for any environmentally oriented course.

Torben C. Rick

An extraordinary book that should be required reading for anyone interested in environmentalism and the future of our planet. From colonialism to the post-9/11 world, Kline provides a comprehensive, current, and approachable synthesis for anyone interested in environmentalism.

Rick Welsh

Benjamin Kline's work is remarkable because of its depth and breadth in covering the topics, but also because of its brevity and accessibility to students. His descriptions of how U.S. environmental policies have emerged and evolved within social, economic and political contexts are insightful and provide the background needed to enhance our understanding of current environmental policy debates. In this way the book is a valuable addition to classes on environmental policy, as it enables students to ground ongoing efforts to grapple with difficult environmental problems within longer term economic and social trends.

Bob Buerger

First Along the River provides a concise, updated introduction to U.S environmental history. An excellent supplement for any student of the subject.

Editorial Reviews

First Along the River is a lively and readable history of the environmental movement in the United States from the time of European contact to the present, suitable for undergraduate courses in a variety of disciplines. I assign it regularly in my Environmental Leadership course since it provides a comprehensive yet concise overview of the topic that can be supplemented with primary source reading.

Benjamin Redekop

Professor Kline's new edition is highly readable with clear and accurate coverage of historical events. His prose draws you in and makes it easy for the reader to enjoy and learn what he is providing.

Philip McKnight

First Along the River is a lively and readable history of the environmental movement in the United States from the time of European contact to the present, suitable for undergraduate courses in a variety of disciplines. I assign it regularly in my Environmental Leadership course since it provides a comprehensive yet concise overview of the topic that can be supplemented with primary source reading.

--Benjamin Redekop, professor of Leadership Studies, Christopher Newport University

Professor Kline's new edition is highly readable with clear and accurate coverage of historical events. His prose draws you in and makes it easy for the reader to enjoy and learn what he is providing.

--Philip McKnight, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams. MA

The fifth edition of Kline's First Along the River adds important new material on dramatic environmental changes the world has seen since 2010, including for example the accelerating impacts of global warming, the rise of the environmental justice movement, the Trump Administration's attack on environmental protection, the COVID pandemic, the Green New Deal, and the significant expansion of youth climate activism. The book has always played an important role in the literature on environmental politics, detailing environmentalism's transformation over time, and Kline's story is now more compelling than ever.

--Tony Affigne, professor of Political Science, Black Studies, and Latina/o Studies at Providence College

From the Publisher

The fifth edition of Kline’s First Along the River adds important new material on dramatic environmental changes the world has seen since 2010, including for example the accelerating impacts of global warming, the rise of the environmental justice movement, the Trump Administration’s attack on environmental protection, the COVID pandemic, the Green New Deal, and the significant expansion of youth climate activism. The book has always played an important role in the literature on environmental politics, detailing environmentalism’s transformation over time, and Kline’s story is now more compelling than ever.

Tony Affigne

A truly unique work, accessible to all, that demonstrates the common property nature of our global environment and its unwitting exploitation in the not so common interest. A good U.S. environmental history supplement for any environmentally oriented course.

John Stoll

I find this a very useful text for an introductory course that I teach called 'Environment and People.' It is clear and straightforward, and yet, it is not overly simplified. It traces how resources have been used and pollution created throughout the historical development of the U.S., while reviewing the individual, organized, and institutional responses to the environmental problems created. With the addition of a new chapter on the environmental policies of the George W. Bush administration, and the new international political context in which emerging global environmental problems must now be addressed, the book provides an excellent overview for introductory courses on environmental history, politics, and policy.

Jane A. Grant

Benjamin Kline's work is remarkable because of its depth and breadth in covering the topics, but also because of its brevity and accessibility to students. His descriptions of how U.S. environmental policies have emerged and evolved within social, economic and political contexts are insightful and provide the background needed to enhance our understanding of current environmental policy debates. In this way the book is a valuable addition to classes on environmental policy, as it enables students to ground ongoing efforts to grapple with difficult environmental problems within longer term economic and social trends.

Rick Welsh

An extraordinary book that should be required reading for anyone interested in environmentalism and the future of our planet. From colonialism to the post-9/11 world, Kline provides a comprehensive, current, and approachable synthesis for anyone interested in environmentalism.

Torben C. Rick

First Along the River provides a concise, updated introduction to U.S environmental history. An excellent supplement for any student of the subject.

Bob Buerger