John Burroughs: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy
Who Was John Burroughs?
John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and nature essayist, active in the conservation movement in the United States. The first of his essay collections was Wake-Robin in 1871.
In the words of his biographer Edward Renehan, Burroughs' special identity was less that of a scientific naturalist than that of "a literary naturalist with a duty to record his own unique perceptions of the natural world." The result was a body of work whose resonance with the tone of its cultural moment explains both its popularity at that time, and its relative obscurity since.
Key Facts
- Born: April 3, 1837 in Catskill Mountains, near Roxbury in Delaware County, New Yor
- Died: 1921
- Field: Literature
Legacy and Impact
The influence of John Burroughs extends far beyond his own lifetime. He fundamentally shaped literature and the written word, and his written works and literary innovations remain foundational to this day.
Though he passed away in 1921, his ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.
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