THE ROLE OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE IN THE SOIL CONSERVATION MOVEMENT, 1865-193

This dissertation is a study of the role of public discourse in the soil conservation movement in America from 1865 to 1935 including the major issues, themes and appeals of the spokesmen in the movement.;Eleven key spokesmen were selected for study: Abraham Lincoln, Galusha Grow, John Wesley Powell and Carl Schurz, from 1865 to 1900, from the first major land act to the closing of the frontier; Theodore Roosevelt, George Maxwell, Francis Newlands and Gifford Pinchot, from 1900 to 1920, when conservation became recognized and accepted as a national movement; and H. H. Bennett, George Norris and Franklin D. Roosevelt, from 1920 to 1935, when the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Civilian Conservation Corps became prominent developments.;The major issues in the movement dealt with settling of the land and the Homestead Legislation. The major appeals dealt with the need for governmental leadership, national and personal security, pride and patriotism, and preservation of family traditions on the land. Themes emphasized throughout the seventy-year span of the movement were: a balance between public versus private ownership of land; the important role for governmental control; and the need for governmental support to implement conservation.;The soil conservation movement evolved from the initial concern about distribution of land under the Homestead Act to a broad interest in the application of scientific soil methods.;Federal funding, minimal in 1865, became substantial by 1935. Public control over conservation programs expanded between 1865 and 1935 because of the influential role of public discourse.;The speakers advocated the conservation and protection of land as a vital national resource. Through their public speaking, the eleven speakers brought significant conservation principles to national attention and demonstrated how soil conservation practices in one geographic area have pronounced effects upon soil conservation in other geographical areas.;Legislation, enacted to protect and preserve the nation's natural resources, was a major outcome of the influence of the spokesmen studied in this dissertation.