Between John Brown and Eugenics: The Radicalism of Forest Preservation in Nineteenth-Century Massachusetts.

This article examines the relationship between the early conservation movement in nineteenth-century Massachusetts and the abolitionist and eugenics movements of the time. It discusses the radicalism of figures like Henry David Thoreau and the problematic views of conservationists like John Muir and Madison Grant. The article argues that both racist and antiracist ideas coexisted within the conservation movement and that the transition from radicalism to problem-solving shaped the future of environmentalism. It also highlights the successful forest preservation campaign in metropolitan Boston and emphasizes the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of different social and environmental movements to fully comprehend the history of conservation. The text further explores the efforts of various individuals and organizations, such as Elizur Wright, the Brookses, and the American Social Science Association, in shaping forest preservation in Massachusetts. It also discusses the preservation efforts of Mann, Eliot, and Lawrence, descendants of the first Puritan settlers, and their role in establishing the Metropolitan Park Commission and acquiring land for public use. The author acknowledges the dissenting views of Ellen Wright, who believed that more needed to be done to protect the trees themselves and that public mobilization was crucial for conservation success. [Extracted from the article]