Suggestion to readers

To really absorb the content on this blog to its full extent, I would recommend reading it from the bottom up (first post to most recent) as that is the order in which I discovered the information, creating a more logical order in the level of information given. However, you are still entitled as a reader to read it in any way that you desire, so feel free to do so. Thank you for your time.

Personal reaction/opinions

As far as progress in our society and important innovation to our country, Warren and Muir were crucial to the 20th century. If I were to have to choose one of these two men to say was most important, I would say Muir because of his additions to the conservation of natural resources. If one were to list the biggest landmarks of America, a large portion of them would be the National Parks that Muir put so much effort into developing.  However, from a personal standpoint, I would have to say Warren is my favorite of the two; he was an incredibly important advocate for equality between people, and that is something I believe is one of the most defining aspects to our American culture. All people have a right to the same opportunities as others, and not allowing some to reach full potential from something as superficial as race is inhuman and cruel, and since this was the type of rulings that Warren made in his court at a time when many would not have stood up for equal rights makes him to be who I believe the most important social progressive was between these two.

Favorite quotations

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." -John Muir
"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." -John Muir

"I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures." - Earl Warren
"In civilized life, law floats in a sea of ethics." -Earl Warren
"Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile, I caught [heck] for." -Earl Warren

See more quotations by Muir or Warren at: http://www.brainyquote.com/

Questions/Comments/Conversation

If anybody would like additional information on these two or would like to ask a question regarding already present information, this would be a great place to do so. This would also be a location to have a discussion on these two influential men.

Overview

Warren and Muir made a large impact on the 20th century that has become a huge part of how our nation is constructed today. Warren promoted civil rights as Chief Justice and stood strong in his forward-looking views as he served in our nation's court system. Muir founded the Sierra Club, which still stands today, promoting conservation of natural resources and promotes a safe, healthy planet, as well as having a huge part in the development of National Parks. These two were huge contributors to social progression in the 20th century, and their influence has defined our culture to this day.

Differences between Earl Warren and John Muir

 The main variance between Muir and Warren, is the areas in which they worked. Warren, as a judge, mainly affected social areas, whereas Muir, as a strong environmentalist, did work in the agricultural field, which is entirely different. Personally, I find it  a bit interesting to think that together these two have actually improved society as a whole by having such entirely different interests. Human interactions, which were shaped by some of the decisions made by Warren in his court rulings, take place in the world around us, which was strongly affected by Muir's naturalist movements. Being so diverse in their movements I believe has improved the human experience in an overall sense, more so than two specialists in the same or similar fields.

What do Earl Warren and John Muir have in common?

It is rather hard to compare these two men, simply because of their completely different areas of expertise. However, I believe that they do have one strong unifying theme; the improvement of our country through their activist viewpoints. Earl Warren helped us strongly determine our acceptance of other cultural backgrounds, as well as develop fair opportunities for those who should need them in certain situations. John Muir was a huge factor in our National Park system and conversations which we treasure as Americans. In completely different ways, these two have made an enormous impact in our society that still stands strongly to this day, and assisted in shaping our American beliefs.

Renowned cases in the Warren court

Warren was very well known for his innovative viewpoints on court cases as Chief Justice. Many of his rulings involved civil rights verification, using our constitution to cease discrimination.

Here are some of the most famous cases in his career (in chronological order) :

Brown v. Board of Education (1954): This was a very important landmark in our equality of citizens from diverse racial backgrounds from an educational standpoint. The case was developed by a school in Topeka, Kansas, not allowing a child to attend a certain school because of her African American ethnicity. A unanimous decision was made under the Warren court, deciding that school segregation was unconstitutional under violation of the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment of the constitution.

Edwards v. South Carolina (1963): This case involved a group of African Americans being arrested/forcefully dispersed after protesting against segregation in front of South Carolina's Capitol building. This action against the protesters was unconstitutional in both the 1st Amendment (freedom of speech and protest) as well as the 14th amendment, giving equal rights to all citizens regardless of race.

Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964): The Heart Of Atlanta Motel was in question for not abiding with the Section 8 in Article I of the constitution. The decision was made that businesses, even privately owned, are required to follow the Civil Rights laws in the United States.

Miranda v. Arizona  (1966): While arrested for multiple charges, Miranda signed a document stating that he confessed to the crimes he committed and knew all of his rights. Later, Miranda stated that the confession was used illegally against him in his conviction. The Warren court agreed that a citizen deserves the right to be properly warned that any actions can be used against them in court, and that an attorney shall be appointed for those who desire one. These rulings led to what are now called the Miranda rights, which are read to each citizen suspected of having committed a crime.

Life and Background

Earl WarrenWarren, born March 19th 1891 in Los Angeles, desired to be a lawyer from the time he was young. He grew up to be a district attorney for fourteen years, and later was elected governor of California from 1943-1953. In 1948, Warren was a nominee for Vice President, running with Thomas Dewey who in the end, lost to Truman. In 1953, Warren was nominated as the fourteenth Chief Justice, and served for many years. Warren eventually passed away on July 9th 1974.

John Muir
Muir was born in Scotland on the 21st of April in 1838. In 1849, Muir moved to the United States. Later in his life, Muir experienced an accident that temporarily blinded him. Once his vision was regained, he found a new passion for the world around him and focused on improving it for future generations. He founded the Sierra Club in 1892, and strongly promoted the addition of National Parks to America. In 1903, Muir's book Our National Parks caught the interest of president Teddy Roosevelt, who with Muir's guidance created many conservational programs. Muir passed away in 1914.

Why was John Muir so important?

At the height of Muir's environmental movements, he published Our National Parks, which evoked interest in President Teddy Roosevelt to invest time in creating conservation programs, one of Roosevelt's most renowned developments as President. Muir was the cause of countless environmental improvements throughout his life.

                                            
                                              John Muir (right) pictured with Teddy Roosevelt working together on their plan                       for the national park system

What made Earl Warren so important to our nation's history?

Earl Warren, after being elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, made a huge impact on our court system that still stand today. He was an activist for Civil rights, and developed rulings for suspected criminals such as the Miranda Rights, at times provoking controversy with his opinions in cases. His influence in the court has shaped how people view such situations today, overall making our judicial system a fairer, unbiased institution.

Who was John Muir?

John Muir was a very important naturalist to our country. Muir took a huge part in developing our National Parks system and is dubbed by many as the "father" of these conservations. He was an important founder in the "Sierra Club", an organization to help raise environmental awareness and assist in conserving plant life. Through his life, Muir spread interest in the wilderness to the American people, and made a huge impact on our American culture today through his ideas.

Who was Earl Warren?

As chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1953 to 1969, Warren took the court to an unparalleled liberal direction. Using his considerable Republican political abilities and assistance from progressive justices William O. Douglass and William J. Brennen, Warren expanded civil rights and liberties and the views people took upon them in the court system. In multiple cases, his influence helped important judicial decisions be made that have formed the free thinking, non-descriminating country that we live in today. Warren served as attorney general, and was elected governor afterward. In 1948 he ran for Vice President with Thomas Dewey, but was never elected because of Dewey's unsuccessful race for presidency.

Outside sources used/additional information

This website has many facts about the life and career of Earl Warren http://warren.ucsd.edu/about/biography.html

This website describes John Muir's life works and experiences
http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/muir_biography.aspx

Deeper explanation into the life of John Muir
http://www.biography.com/people/john-muir-9417625

Additional information on Earl Warren's accomplishments
http://articles.castelarhost.com/earl_warren_judicial_revolution.htm

Another bibliography of Earl Warren
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/636023/Earl-Warren/7781/Additional-Reading

This website supplied information about a few of the important cases Warren participated in
http://yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2004/1/04.01.07.x.html

 Additional information on court cases was taken from our textbook