In the early 1800’s, the Hudson River School along with transcendental thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau helped to form America’s national identity. At this time in history, America was expanding. The invention of new technologies such as the steamboat and the railroad allowed for a great increase in the amount of trade and travel. Post-Revolutionary War, America featured rapid growth in both urban areas and industry; this led to changes in the landscape1. This growth while beneficial to many, displaced wilderness and was detrimental to the environment. Land that had been left untouched by society’s progress became celebrated for its beauty. Among numerous artists, most notably the English painter Thomas Cole led the celebration. The Hudson River School is the name of the movement under which the artists, who followed Cole’s style are part of. This movement not only affected conservation in its time, but it also laid a foundation for what we know as modern environmentalism. In 1801 Thomas Cole was born in Lancashire, England. Up until eighteen, Cole lived in England, however ‘during the financial depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars, the Cole family immigrated to America.’2 After brief stints as a wood engraver and illustrator, Cole determined that he wanted to become a painter. In 1825, after a few years of studying the landscapes of numerous artists, Thomas Cole made his first sketching trip up the Hudson River.3 Sketching trips would take place during the warm months, normally in the summer. For the trip the painter would travel to their desired subjects and sketch them from numerous vantage points. Then in the colder months, the winter, the artist would spend his time painting what he had sketched.4 After the paintings that Cole produced from this trip were discovered by three painters, one being Asher B. Durand, he garnered instant success. Cole then quickly forged relationships with many wealthy patrons, such as Daniel Wadsworth of Hartford. 5 Cole’s fame spre