Environmentalism as a concept has gone through a development since the term was first coined and today it is such a board term that it comprises several issues. It has become a global concern that affects not only the United States but the rest of the world as well. I am going to examine the process by which the concept broadened and changed, the way it became a global issue and most important of all, I will deal with what role the United States played in this process, by summing up what the country added to the concept of environmentalism.