The Founding Fathers: America’s First Climate Advocates
From The Observatory
Long before modern science warned of global warming, America’s Founding Fathers were already thinking about how human activity could change the climate. Unlike today, when the U.S. is often seen as skeptical about climate science, early Americans closely observed weather patterns and debated whether settlement and land use could improve the environment.
European scientists and travelers often claimed that the New World’s climate caused physical and intellectual degeneration in both humans and animals. Famous thinkers like Buffon and de Pauw argued that American animals were smaller, and Americans less capable, than Europeans because of harsh climates. The colonists rejected these ideas as a matter of national pride. Leaders like Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin worked to show that Americans and their land were thriving.
The Founders linked climate improvement to human activity, noting that clearing forests and cultivating land could make winters milder and strengthen plants, animals, and people. Jefferson and his peers measured weather, tracked seasonal changes, and recorded animal sizes to gather evidence. They even instructed explorers like Lewis and Clark to study plants and animals to further prove their points. These efforts helped build early American science, contributing to the foundations of meteorology and climatology.
Although their methods were not fully scientific and their predictions overly optimistic, the Founders’ dedication to observation and measurement was remarkable. They were motivated by both pride and politics, using climate arguments to counter European skepticism and support settlement. Their advocacy reminds us that debates over human impact on the environment are not new, and history offers lessons for modern discussions. By examining how the Founders approached climate change, today’s scientists and policymakers can better understand both the strengths and the limits of their own efforts.
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
