Rachel Carson 1940. Courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service, Jul. 4, 2025
The environment is the dynamic, natural world that we inhabit. But before the 1950s, Americans had given little thought to their effect on it; pollution was ignored for the progression of industrialization and innovation. Rachel Carson was a scientist, writer, and activist who helped propel the environmental movement to the forefront of American attention during the 1950s-1960s with her book, Silent Spring. She questioned the danger of using chemicals without understanding their potential for harm using her background as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services field scientist and writer.