The University of Kansas Libraries
Political Perspectives
The University of Kansas Libraries has an extensive collection of materials addressing the United States environmental movement. Materials for this display were selected because they represent important moments, perspectives, and analyses of movement. They reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the subject; materials were chosen from the Political Science, Science, and Special collections. While this display only shows a glimpse of KU collections, it demonstrates how separate collections at KU work interdependently to create a comprehensive view of the environmental movement in the United States as it has evolved over many decades.
While United States environmental movement began well before the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, this book was chosen as the starting point because of its major impact on the modern environmental movement. Overviews, such as The Origins of Environmental Thought, were selected because of their importance for understanding the history and development of the movement. Also included are materials published by environmental groups, including Earth First! and Friends of the Earth, demonstrating how these groups communicated with the public to make strong environmental statements (these materials are available for viewing at the Spencer Research Library as part of the Wilcox Collection). A Richard Nixon Signing Statement is included to demonstrate the increasing role the government, especially the executive branch, played in the environmental movement. Finally, examples of headlines from across several decades from the New York Times reflect how environmentalism has progressed in the United States as a social and political issue over the past century.
Amalia Monroe
Political Science, International Documents Librarian
University of Kansas Libraries
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