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History, Geography and Environmental Studies 460
American Environmental History
Environmental history, a relatively new field, studies the changing relationship between human beings and the natural world through time. Despite being numbered at the 400-level, this course is intended as an introduction to this exciting new field of scholarship, with no prerequisites. It assumes no background in American history, geography, or environmental studies, and offers a general survey that can be valuable for students interested in any of these fields, from entry-level undergraduates through graduate students. Although the course is intended to be challenging, it is also meant to be fun: any student willing to attend lectures, do the readings, and work hard should be able to enjoy and do well in it. Our central premise throughout will be that much of the familiar terrain of American history looks very different when seen in an environmental context, and that one can learn a great deal about history, geography, and the environment by studying them together. All too often, historians study the human past without attending to nature. All too often, scientists study nature without attending to human history. We will try to discover the value of integrating these different perspectives, and argue that the humanistic perspectives of historians and geographers are absolutely crucial if one hopes to understand contemporary environmental issues.
Syllabus:
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PDF: (optimized for printing):
Email Announcements Sent to Class List Server:
Handouts:
Please note that for all handouts listed below, the HTML version is more attractive for onscreen viewing, complete with a relevant banner illustration on top, whereas the PDF version is much more densely packed and is designed to be printable on a single sheet of paper. These handouts typically become available at least a few days before a lecture is delivered, though occasionally they may get revised very close to the time of the actual lecture.
Handout #1: Kennecott Journey
Handout #2: World Coyote & Raven Made
Handout #3: Migration, Disease, & Death
Handout #4: Co-Invasion: Some Bigger Creatures
Handout #5: Selling Animals
Handout #6: A World of Fields and Fences
Handout #7: Mountain Gloom, Mountain Glory
Romanticism Readings:
Handout #8: The Flow of the River
Handout #9: The Machine in the Garden
von Thunen's Rings Handout
Agricultural Time Series (Black and White):
Agricultural Time Series (Color):
Handout #10: Hunters and Hunted
Handout #11: Even the Oceans Fail
Handout #12: Wonders of Libraries, Joys of Information
Handout #13: The Conservation Vision
Handout #14: Nurturing Nature: The Child in the Garden
Handout #15: Planning for Disaster
Handout #16: Strategic Resources and the Population Bomb
Handout #17: The Fallout of Silent Spring
Handout #18: Environmentalism Triumphant?
Handout #19: Regulation to the Rescue
Handout #20: Public Parks and Pleasuring Grounds (guest lecture by Garrett Nelson)
Handout #20-21: Wilderness and the Land Ethic
Handout #22: Toxic Torts and Environmental Justice
Handout #23: Energy Crises
Handout #24: Environmental Backlash
Handout #25: People Who Live in Glass Houses
Handout #26: That Which We Tame
First Paper Assignment
This asks you to write a brief paper using a short primary document as a source to support an interpretive thesis about colonization in New England. Everything you need for the assignment can be found in this handout:
Place Paper Assignment
Place Paper assignment described:
Click here for a collection of past student papers written to fulfill the final "place paper" assignment in 460.
Kelly Roark's Tips for Successful Place Papers
This handout was prepared by TA Kelly Roark to help students in her discussion sections in 2005, and I've decided to make it available again.
Other Resources:
Essay: William Cronon, "Kennecott Journey: The Paths out of Town," in Wiliam Cronon, George Miles, Jay Gitlin, eds., Under an Open Sky: Rethinking America's Western Past (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1992), 28-51.
Romanticism Readings:
Sample Midterm Exam Essay Questions, Fall 2008
Midterm Exam
Sample Answer to Question #1
Sample Answer to Question #2
Sample Answer to Question #3
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