George Perkins Marsh – "America's first environmentalist"


Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor George Perkins Marsh, born in Vermont, March 15th 1801. After graduating from Dartmouth, he practiced law and edited a book on ancient Native American monuments of the Mississippi valley. While serving three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, this erudite Whig helped establish the Smithsonian Institution.

Marsh was first to acknowledge the effect of human activity on the environment, writing in 1847:

"It is certain that climate itself has in many instances been gradually changed and ameliorated or deteriorated by human action."

His book on ecology, Man and Nature: Or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action, inspired early conservationism and led to establishment of the national forest system.

President Zachary Taylor named him ambassador to Turkey. Returning after nearly four years, Marsh was elected to the American Antiquarian Society and the governor tasked him to report on improving artificial fish propagation. He also served on commissions for rebuilding the state capitol building and regulating railroads.

President Abraham Lincoln named him ambassador to Italy. The nation’s longest-serving chief of mission remained at his post twenty-one years.


Marsh was eulogized as "an extraordinary man, a person of boundless energy, endless enthusiasms and immense intelligence."

Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com. 

Here is a YouTube Video about this article.

Here is a TikTok Video about this article.

Here is an Instagram Video about this article.

Here is my Substack about this article.

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.


Each day, his YouTube videos and TikTok videos and Rumble videos and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Your book is a national treasure. I'm always recommending it."

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"


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