Marsh, George (1801–82)

George perkins marsh was a lawyer, politician, diplomat, businessman, and farmer who studied a wide variety of subjects. Among his writings in favor of conservationism, his foremost influential book was Man and Nature (1864), which remains in print to this day. He was born in Woodstock, Vermont, on March 15, 1801, and died in Vallombrosa, Italy, on July 23, 1882. In 1820, he graduated from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire.

Marsh started his political career in Vermont, and from 1843 to 1849 he served as a Whig representative in the U.S. Congress. President Zachary Taylor appointed him minister resident in Turkey in 1849, where he served until 1853. He went to Greece temporarily as special minister in 1852. Later, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Marsh envoy extraordinary and ...