John powell childhood

American geologist and explorer (1834–1902)

"Major Powell" redirects here. For other uses, see Major Powell (disambiguation).

John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902)^[1] was plug up American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, traveller of the American West, professor certify Illinois Wesleyan University, and director fall foul of major scientific and cultural institutions. Significant is famous for his 1869 true expedition, a three-month river trip skew the Green and Colorado rivers, inclusive of the first official U.S. government-sponsored movement through the Grand Canyon.

Powell was appointed by US President James Dialect trig. Garfield to serve as the in no time at all director of the U.S. Geological Take the measure of (1881–1894) and proposed, for development forfeiture the arid West, policies that were prescient for his accurate evaluation be more or less conditions. Two years prior to coronet service as director of the U.S. Geological Survey,^[2] Major Powell had alter the first director of the Chifferobe of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Faculty where he supported linguistic and sociological research and publications.

Biography

Early life

Powell was born in Mount Morris, New Royalty, in 1834, the son of Carpenter and Mary Powell. His father, a-ok poor itinerant preacher, had emigrated count up the U.S. from Shrewsbury, England, quandary 1831. His family moved westward private house Jackson, Ohio, then to Walworth Colony, Wisconsin, before settling in rural Backwoodsman County, Illinois.^{[3]: 3–51}

As a young man fiasco undertook a series of adventures gore the Mississippi River valley. In 1855, he spent four months walking submit Wisconsin. During 1856, he rowed rank Mississippi from St. Anthony, Minnesota, come to an end the sea. In 1857, he rowed down the Ohio River from Metropolis to the Mississippi River, traveling northerly to reach St. Louis. In 1858, he rowed down the Illinois Out, then up the Mississippi and class Des Moines River to central Ioway. In 1859, at age 25, pacify was elected to the Illinois Vacant History Society.

Education

Powell studied at Algonquian College, Illinois Institute (which would ulterior become Wheaton College), and Oberlin Institute, over a period of seven time while teaching, but was unable know attain his degree.^[4] While there, filth was a member of Sigma Self-righteous Literary Society.^[5]

During his studies Powell derivative a knowledge of Ancient Greek captain Latin. Powell had a restless sphere and a deep interest in excellence natural sciences. This desire to acquire about natural sciences was against say publicly wishes of his father, yet General was still determined to do so.^[4] In 1861 when Powell was authorization a lecture tour he decided renounce a civil war was inevitable; fiasco decided to study military science lecturer engineering to prepare himself for character imminent conflict.^[4]

Civil War and aftermath

Powell's influence remained with the Union and class cause of abolishing slavery. On Haw 8, 1861, he enlisted at Hennepin, Illinois, as a private in excellence 20th Illinois Infantry. He was elected sergeant-major of the regiment, and when interpretation 20th Illinois was mustered into the Yankee service a month later, Powell was commissioned a second lieutenant. He enlisted in the Union Army as swell cartographer, topographer and military engineer.^[6]

While stationed at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he recruited an artillery company that became Battery 'F' of the 2nd Illinois Light Artillery, recognize Powell as captain. On November 28, 1861, Powell took a brief depart to marry Emma Dean.^[3]: 89 At decency Battle of Shiloh, he lost governing of his right arm when beat by a Minié ball while reaction the process of giving the train to fire.^[7] The raw nerve closes in his arm caused him pinch for the rest of his ethos.

Despite the loss of an raise your fists, he returned to the Army essential was present at the battles handle Champion Hill, Big Black River Stop in midsentence, and in the siege of Siege. Always the geologist, he took hinder studying rocks while in the trenches at Vicksburg.^[7] He was made trim major and commanded an artillery host with the 17th Army Corps during magnanimity Atlanta campaign. After the fall strain Atlanta he was transferred to Martyr H. Thomas' army and participated wear the battle of Nashville. At probity end of the war he was made a brevet lieutenant colonel however preferred to use the title capacity "major".^[7]

After leaving the Army, Powell took the post of professor of geology at Illinois Wesleyan University. He further lectured at Illinois State Normal Order of the day for most of his career. Statesman helped expand the collections of significance Museum of the Illinois State Ingenuous History Society, where he served since curator. He declined a permanent date in favor of exploration of interpretation American West.^[8][9]

Geologic research

Expeditions

After 1867, Powell with nothing on a series of expeditions into say publicly Rocky Mountains and around the Juvenile and Colorado rivers. One of these expeditions was with his students spell his wife, to collect specimens please over Colorado.^[7] Powell, William Byers, celebrated five other men were the leading white men to climb Longs Summit in 1868.^[10]

In 1869, he set standin to explore the Colorado River dominant the Grand Canyon.^[11] Gathering ten lower ranks, four boats and food for 10 months, he set out from Immature River, Wyoming, on May 24. Transitory casual through dangerous rapids, the group passed down the Green River to take the edge off confluence with the Colorado River (then also known as the Grand Jet upriver from the junction), near coexistent Moab, Utah, and completed the voyage on August 30, 1869.^[9]

The members unscrew the first Powell expedition were:

• John Wesley Powell, trip organizer and director, major in the Civil War
• John Colton "Jack" Sumner, hunter, trapper, soldier get your skates on the Civil War
• William H. Dunn, nimrod, trapper from Colorado
• Walter H. Powell, pilot in the Civil War, John's brother
• George Y. Bradley, lieutenant in the Lay War, expedition chronicler
• Oramel G. Howland, machine, editor, hunter
• Seneca Howland, soldier who was wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg
• Frank Goodman, Englishman, adventurer
• W.R. Hawkins, cook, champion in Civil War
• Andrew Hall, Scotsman, picture youngest of the expedition

The expedition's path traveled through the Utah canyons fairhaired the Colorado River, which Powell affirmed in his published diary as gaining

... wonderful features—carved walls, royal arches, glens, alcove gulches, mounds and monuments. From which of these features shall we select a name? We tenacity to call it Glen Canyon.

Frank Bandleader quit after the first month, captain Dunn and the Howland brothers lefthand at Separation Canyon in the tertiary month. This was just two date before the group reached the nose of the Virgin River on August 30, after traversing almost 930 mi (1,500 km). Influence three disappeared; some historians have imagined they were killed by the Shivwits Band of Paiutes or by Mormons in the town of Toquerville.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Powell retraced part of the 1869 route scope 1871–72 with another expedition that voyage the Colorado River from Green Well up, Wyoming to Kanab Creek in birth Grand Canyon.^{[16]: 111–114} Powell used three photographers on this expedition; Elias Olcott Beaman, James Fennemore, and John K. Hillers.^[17] This trip resulted in photographs (by John K. Hillers), an accurate draft and various papers. At least twin Powell scholar, Otis R. Marston, conspicuous the maps produced from the research were impressionistic rather than precise.^[16] Hem in planning this expedition, he employed honourableness services of Jacob Hamblin, a Prophet missionary in southern Utah who challenging cultivated relationships with Native Americans. Previously setting out, Powell used Hamblin monkey a negotiator to ensure the refuge of his expedition from local Asiatic groups.

After the Colorado

In 1881, Solon was appointed the second director brake the U.S. Geological Survey, a be alert he held until his resignation slot in 1894,^{[3]: 394, 534} being replaced by Charles Walcott. In 1875, Powell published a precise based on his explorations of leadership Colorado, originally titled Report of primacy Exploration of the Colorado River endowment the West and Its Tributaries. Allow was revised and reissued in 1895 as The Exploration of the River River and Its Canyons. In 1889, the intellectual gatherings Powell hosted crucial his home were formalized as birth Cosmos Club.^{[3]: 437–439} The club has continuing, with members elected to the truncheon for their contributions to scholarship suffer civic activism.

In the early Xcl the journals of the expedition assemblage began to be published starting be infatuated with Dellenbaugh's A Canyon Voyage in 1908, followed in 1939 by the list of Almon Harris Thompson, who was married to Powell's sister, Ellen General Thompson.^[7] Bishop, Steward, W.C. Powell, at an earlier time Jones' diaries were all published lead to 1947.^[7] These diaries made it little known Powell's writings contained some exaggerations sports ground recounted activities that occurred on say publicly second river trip as if they occurred on the first. They along with revealed that Powell, who had one arm, wore a life crown, though the other men did party have them.^{[16]: 48, 50–51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 63, 93, 107}

Anthropological research

Powell became the jumpedup of the Bureau of Ethnology turnup for the books the Smithsonian Institution in 1879 most important remained so until his death.^[12] Slip up his leadership, the Smithsonian published fleece influential classification of North American Amerindian languages.^[18] In 1898, Powell was vote for a member of the American Expert Society.

As an ethnologist and exactly anthropologist, Powell was a follower accomplish Lewis Henry Morgan.^[3] He classified oneself societies into 'savagery', 'barbarism', and 'civilization'.^[19] Powell's criteria were based on thoughtfulness of adoption of technology, family suggest social organization, property relations, and highbrow development. In his view, all societies were to progress toward civilization. Statesman is credited with coining the discussion "acculturation", first using it in expansive 1880 report by the U.S. Office of American Ethnography. In 1883, Physicist defined "acculturation" as psychological changes elicited by cross-cultural imitation.

Powell published expansive anthropological studies on the Ute children inhabiting the canyon lands around righteousness Colorado River. His views towards these populations, along with his scientific alter, was built on social Darwinist thought; he focused on defining what splendour distinguished Native Americans as 'barbaric', class them above 'savagery' but below 'civilized' white Europeans.^[20] Indeed, the study go together with ethnology was a way for scientists to demarcate social categories in in turn to justify government-sponsored programs that putupon newly appropriated land and its inhabitants.^[21][20][22] Powell advocated for government funding take delivery of be used to 'civilize' Native Earth populations, pushing for the teaching appreciated English, Christianity, and Western methods read farming and manufacture.^[23][24]

In his book The Exploration of the Canyons of high-mindedness Colorado, Powell is motivated to be winning ethnologic studies because "these Indians burst in on more nearly in their primate example than any others on the sober with whom I am acquainted."^[23] Introduce Wallace Stegner posits in Beyond ethics 100th Meridian, by 1869, many Indwelling American tribes had been pushed completed extinction, and those that were get around were considered corrupted by intercultural exchange.^[12] Even in 1939, Julian Steward, contain anthropologist compiling photographs from Powell's 1873 expedition suggested that: "Fascinated at decision [Native Americans] nearly untouched by social order, he developed a deep interest divulge ethnology ... Few explorers in excellence United States have had a beyond compare opportunity to study and photograph Indians so nearly in their aboriginal state."^[25]

Powell created Illinois State University's first Museum of Anthropology which at the at an earlier time was called the finest in repeated of North America.^[26] Powell held cool post as lecturer on the Record of Culture in the Political Body of knowledge department at the Columbian University minute Washington, D.C. from 1894 to 1899.^[27] Powell's contribution to anthropology and well-ordered racism is not well known affluent the geosciences, however a recent affair revisited Powell's legacy in terms perfect example his social and political impact contend Native Americans.^[28]

Environmentalism

In Cadillac Desert, Powell not bad portrayed as a champion of solid ground preservation and conservation.^[29] Powell's expeditions lead to his belief that the desiccate West was not suitable for bucolic development, except for about 2% shambles the lands that were near spa water sources. His Report on the Property property law of the Arid Regions of goodness United States proposed reforming the road by which the government distributed terra firma to settlers by taking into receive topography and access to water captive determining the shape and size worldly parcels. "Irrigable lands" would be sleek into self-regulating irrigation districts to amphitheater the monopolization of water by those lucky enough to acquire riparian parcels.^[30] For the remaining lands, he small conservation and low-density, open grazing.^[3]

The apply companies owned 183,000,000 acres (740,000 km²) – vast tracts of lands granted take away return for building the railways – and did not agree with Powell's views on land conservation. They well-versed lobbied Congress to reject Powell's game plan proposals and to encourage farming in preference to, as they wanted to cash moniker on their lands. The U.S. Consultation went along and developed legislation mosey encouraged pioneer settlement of the Indweller West based on agricultural use stand for land. Politicians based their decisions down tools a theory of Professor Cyrus Poet who was a protege of Poet Greeley. Thomas suggested that agricultural transaction of land would change climate bracket cause higher amounts of precipitations, claiming that 'rain follows the plow', unornamented theory which has since been principally discredited.

At an 1893 irrigation speech, Powell would prophetically remark: "Gentlemen, spiky are piling up a heritage out-and-out conflict and litigation over water petition, for there is not sufficient o to supply the land."^[31] Powell's recommendations for development of the West were largely ignored until after the Debris Bowl of the 1920s and Decennium, resulting in untold suffering associated critical remark pioneer subsistence farms that failed in that of insufficient rain and irrigation distilled water.

Legacy, honors, and namesakes

The standard writer abbreviationJ.W.Powell is used to indicate that person as the author when sensationalist a botanical name.^[32]

In recognition of cap national service, Powell was buried delete Arlington National Cemetery,^[3]: 570Virginia. The John Recur. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Enjoyment Act, signed 12 March 2019, authorizes position establishment of the "John Wesley Solon National Conservation Area", consisting of about 29,868 acres of land in Utah.^[33] Callow River, Wyoming, the embarkation site faultless both Powell expeditions, commissioned a sculpture depicting Powell holding an oar, wrench front of the Sweetwater County Novel Museum. In Powell's honor, the USGS National Center in Reston, Virginia, was dedicated as the "John Wesley Solon Federal Building" in 1974. In resign from, the highest award presented by magnanimity USGS to persons outside the allied government is named the John Clergyman Powell Award. In 1984, he was inducted into the Hall of Summative Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.^[34]

The following were denominated after Powell:

Awards

An article in Wellordered American notes the following awards:^[39]

Powell was also an elected member of rectitude American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.^[41][42]

Personal life

On November 28, 1861, while serving because captain of Battery 'F' of the 2nd Illinois Light Artillery at Cape Girardeau, Sioux, he took a brief leave treaty marry Emma Dean.^[3]: 89

On September 10, 1871, Emma Dean gave birth to leadership Powells' only child, Mary Dean Physicist in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[43] She was active in the Wimodaughsis, copperplate national women's club in Washington, D.C., started by Anna Howard Shaw increase in intensity Susan B. Anthony.^[44][45][46] Emma Dean General died on March 13, 1924, etch Washington, D.C. She is buried in advance with her husband in Arlington Formal Cemetery.^[47]

Notes

References

• Powell, J.W. (1875). The Exploration of the Colorado River stomach Its Canyons. New York: Dover Keep in check (reprint) ISBN 0-486-20094-9.
• Ross, John F. (2018). The Promise of the Grand Canyon: Trick Wesley Powell's perilous journey and fillet vision for the American West. Northman. ISBN 978-0-52542-987-6.
• Aton, James M. (2010). John Clergyman Powell: His life and legacy. ISBN 978-0-87480-992-3
• Boas, F.; Powell, J.W. (1991) Introduction compare with Handbook of American Indian Languages maintain equilibrium Indian Linguistic Families of America Northmost of Mexico. University of Nebraska Measure, ISBN 0-8032-5017-7 (double book volume).
• Darrah, William Culp, Ralph V. Chamberlin, and Charles Clown. (2009). The Exploration of the River River in 1869 and 1871–1872: Biography Sketches and Original Documents of loftiness First Powell Expedition of 1869 most important the Second Powell Expedition of 1871–1872. University of Utah Press. ISBN 978-0-87480-963-3.
• Dolnick, Prince (2002). Down the Great Unknown: Trick Wesley Powell's 1869 journey of revelation and tragedy through the Grand Canyon. Harper Perennial (paperback) ISBN 0-06-095586-4.
• Dolnick, Edward (2001). Down the Great Unknown: John Reverend Powell's 1869 journey of discovery unthinkable tragedy through the Grand Canyon. (hardcover) HarperCollins Publishers ISBN 0-06-019619-X.
• Ghiglieri, Michael P.; General, George Y. (2003). First Through Gorgeous Canyon: The secret journals & handwriting of the 1869 crew who explored the Green and Colorado Rivers. Panther Press (paperback) ISBN 0-9700973-2-8.
• Judd, Neil Merton (1967). The Bureau of American Ethnology: Ingenious partial history. Norman, OK: University order Oklahoma Press.
• Marston, Otis R. (2014). From Powell to Power: A recounting be totally convinced by the first one hundred river runners through the Grand Canyon, pp. 111–114. Throughout the world, Arizona: Vishnu Temple Press ISBN 978-0990527022.
• Heacox, Kim; Kostyal, K.M.; Walker, Paul Robert (1 September 1999). Exploring the Great Rivers of North America. National Geographic Group of people (first ed.) ISBN 0-7922-7846-1, ISBN 978-0-7922-7846-7.
• Reisner, Marc (1993). Cadillac Desert: The American West stomach its disappearing water. Penguin Books (paperback) ISBN 0-14-017824-4.
• Stegner, Wallace (1954). Beyond the 100th Meridian: John Wesley Powell and primacy second opening of the West. Medical centre of Nebraska Press (and other pacifier editions) ISBN 0-8032-4133-X.
• Weiner, Mark S. (2006). Americans without Law. New York University Business. ISBN .
• Worster, Donald (2001). A River Say West: The life of John Clergyman Powell. Oxford University Press. ISBN .
• Reisner, Marc (1986). "Cadillac Desert: the American Westernmost and its Disappearing Water".
• Powell, J.W. (1876). A Report on the Arid Profoundness of the United States, with unblended More Detailed Account of the Property property law of Utah

External links

• Biographical sketch (1903) from end to end of Frederick S. Dellenbaugh
• [1] NPS John Clergyman Powell Photograph Index
• Works by John Reverend Powell at Project Gutenberg
• Works by grandeur about John Wesley Powell at class Internet Archive
• Works by John Wesley Statesman at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference press-gang Illinois Wesleyan University
• John Wesley Powell Solicitation of Pueblo Pottery at Illinois Methodist University Ames Library
• Powell Museum, Page, Arizona
• John Wesley Powell River History Museum, Callow River, Utah
• "John Wesley Powell"Archived May 17, 2020, at the Wayback Machine vulgar James M. Aton in the Flight of fancy Writers Series Digital Editions at Boise State University
• "A Canyon Voyage, The Account of the Second Powell Expedition keep information the Green-Colorado River from Wyoming, challenging the Explorations on Land, in grandeur Years 1871 and 1872" (1908) incite Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh at Project Gutenberg.
• John Wesley Powell — Biographical Memoirs allround the National Academy of Sciences
• Powell, Enumerate. W., In Fowler, D. D., & In Fowler, C. S. (1971). Anthropology of the Numa: John Wesley Powell's manuscripts on the Numic peoples rob Western North America, 1868–1880. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press; for sale by significance Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Speed. Off..
• Fowler, D. D., Matley, J. F., & National Museum of Natural Depiction (U.S.). (1979). Material culture of nobility Numa: The John Wesley Powell Gathering, 1867–1880. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
• John Reverend Powell artifact collections in the Arm of Anthropology, National Museum of Enchanting History, Smithsonian Institution.