Korean J Med Hist.  1996 Dec;5(2):99-110.

The Historical Background of the Emergence of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) and its Influences

• Im GS

Abstract

This paper treats the emergence of Rachel Carson's famous book Silent Spring. So as to survey the historical background of Carson's idea, I summarize some recent works in environmental history concerning the Conservation movement, Alice Hamilton's pioneering work on industrial poisons, the development on the chemical pesticide, and Rachel Carson's early works. In addition to the background of Carson's book, this paper also treats its influences on the environmental movement and the environmental policy after its publication. So as to show how Carson's idea gained acceptance, I summarize the processes of environmental controversies among news media, scientists, the federal government, the pesticide industry, and Conservation organizations. The hot debates on Carson's warning evoked environmental movements and controversies during the 1960s and the 1970s. Besides, confronted with the growing political pressure on environmental issues, the federal government created the Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate and enforce regulations safeguarding America's air, water, and land. Consequently, Rachel Carson's work marked the beginning of the environmental movement in America.

Keyword

Rachel Carson; Silent Spring; DDT; Alice Hamilton; Environmental History