Figure 1.--Here we see American siblings Harrey, Mable, William, and Annie/Ginnie in 1904. They are in the family sitting room with their prized possessions, including a stringed instument lookin like amadolin, book, horse-drawn coal waggon, and doll. At the time coal not only fired factory macinery, railroad locomotives, and steamships as well as home heating. The toy coal waggon was probably like the waggon that delivered coal to their home. The back of the card also tells us, "Mable died 1906 from ruptured appendecitus."

The Siberian hunters that crossed the Bearing Sea land bridge (about 12000 BC) hit the geographic jackpot--a pristine wilderness briming with game, lakes and rivers filled with fish, and fruits and edible plants as well as vast areas of rich, arable land. After existing Beringia the Siberians became proto-Indians began to populate not only North America, but Central and South America as well. Millenia later, the English colonists coming from crowded, unhealthy cities, a polluted Europe, with forests largely cut down also hit a geographic jackpot. Early Americans heated their home with wood which was avaulable everywhere, unlike Europe which was cutting down their forests. As the Industrial Revolution began to transform first Britain and then America, this began to change. Coal became the powerhouse behind industry and the railroads that connected farms, mines, and factories. American cities grew up overnight. Cities that were no more than crossroads at bthe beginning of the 19th century, surpased European cities that had benngrowing cehturies in jot millenia. Bu the end if the century, America had the larges industrail base in the world. It was all powered by coal and Ameerica was blessed with huge coal deposits. American cities thoughout the Northeast and Mid-West had smockstack indutries polluting the air and water. The major fuel was coal. Coal fired industry. It was also used for home heating. Both wood and coal were sooty and give off poluting emissions. This began to create a problem in the growing cities. The situation in the industrial Midwest and aortheast was becoming serious. The air was becoming unhealty. Oil began to become important as the automobile became important, but coal continuted to be the most imprtant fuel until well after World War II. And the pollution from coal had become significant. There were very few if any restrictions on factory emissions until well after World War II. And a trendous quantity of coal was used for home heating. People could not swim or fish in major rivers. The prosperity Americans enjoyed as a result of industry meant that workers could buy homes and move into the sunburbs. And they bought cars to comute. This created a new kind of pollution, automobile exhausts from gasoline. In other country only the well-to-do had cars. In American even the poor had cars. The huge numner of cars was a symbol of American prosprtity. But it created pollution. The air in Califorrnia, especially southern California became a problem. TV comics bedgan to joke avout it.

Pre-history

The Siberian hunters that crossed the Bearing Sea land bridge (about 12000 BC) hit the geographic jackpot--a pristine wilderness briming with game, lakes, and rivers filled with fish, and fruits and edible plants as well as vast areas of rich, arable land. After existing Beringia the Siberians became proto-Indians began to populate not only North America, but Central and South America as well. The Native Americans were such a small population and their technological level so basic that there was no pollution problem. There were, however, environmental impacts. The proto-Indians are commonly blamed on the extinction of North American mega-fauna, like masterdons. Over populations and the cutting of trees in Meso-America is commonly blamed for the decline of the Maya, but we see no evidence of pollution.

Colonial America

Millenia later, the English colonists coming from crowded, unhealthy cities, a polluted Europe, with forests largely cut down also hit a geographic jackpot. Early Americans heated their home with wood which was avaulable everywhere, unlike Europe which was cutting down their forests. While we do not note pollution, the American Indian had a far greater impact on the natural landscape than commonly understood. The population of colonial America was a substantial increase over that of Native Americans, but still very small. The vast majority of sttlers lived on farms in the county side. We see cties like Boston, New York, Phladelphia, and Charleston, but city dwealers were a vert small mpart of the population. This mean that there was no serious pollution problems.

United States

As the Industrial Revolution began to transform first Britain and then America, this began to change. Coal became the powerhouse behind industry and the railroads that connected farms, mines, and factories. American cities grew up overnight. Cities that were no more than crossroads at bthe beginning of the 19th century, surpased European cities that had benngrowing cehturies in jot millenia. Bu the end if the century, America had the larges industrail base in the world. It was all powered by coal and Ameerica was blessed with huge coal deposits. American cities thoughout the Northeast and Mid-West had smockstack indutries polluting the air and water. The major fuel was coal. Coal fired industry. It was also used for home heating. Both wood and coal were sooty and give off poluting emissions. This began to create a problem in the growing cities. The situation in the industrail Midwest and and Northeast was becoming serious. The Frick Art Museum was originally located in Pittsburg. Henry Clay Frick was associated with steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Frick moved his entire collection of art from Pittsburgh to New Yoprk City because the pollution from the steel mills in Pittsburgh was ruining his collection as well as wanting to be near his money. A reader tells us that the pollution in the Northeast and Midwest is why the song, 'Home on the range has the lyd\rics "Give me a home, where the Buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play, where never is heard a discouraging word ...and the skies are not cloudy all day...." It was a 1872 poem, but didmot become an American classic until Bing Crosby sung it (1933). The air was becoming unhealty in local areas (late-19th century0. Gradually it began to be a regional problem. Oil began to become imoprtant as the automobile became important, but coal continued to be the most important fuel until well after World War II. And the pollution from coal had become significant. There were very few if any restructions on factory emissions until well after World War II. And a trendous quantity of coal was used for home heating. People could not swim or fish in major rivers. The prosperity Americans enjoyed as a result of industry meant that workers could buy homes and move into the sunburbs. And they bought cars to commute. This created a new kind of pollution, automobile exhausts from gasoline. In other country only the well-to-do had cars. In American even the poor had cars. The huge numner of cars was a symbol of American prosprtity. But it created pollution. The air in Califorrnia, especially southern California became a problem. TV comics bedgan to joke avout it.

Sources

Rahn, Richard W. "Where have all the smokestacks gone?" Washington Tines (July 16, 2019), p. B3.

Created: 1:37 AM 7/19/2019
Last updated: 10:45 PM 7/19/2019