Changes In The Land William Cronon Summary
The text “Changes In The Land” by William Cronon is an accurate depiction of the alteration in ecology in New England during the colonial period. The book carefully describes how the Indians had been influencing their environment in a significant yet sustainable manner many years before the Europeans came to colonize New England. Cronon explains the idea of how commodity shaped the differences between western and native land practices. He has the ability to tell this story from both perspectives in a correct and clearly understandable fashion. He illustrates that the misunderstanding between two races eventually led to the fall of the Indians. Cronon constantly calls upon many records and scientific reports to support his arguments on the
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changes that occurred in the colonial period in New England. This book demonstrates how humans shape the environment they are in. It provides readers with a great of environmental account that has change the lives of many people.
Natives’ years before landfall and colonization had been shaping the world around them. They lived very nomadic lifestyles that brought them all around the land depending on the seasons and where the food was this lead to a lesser impact on the environment. Many groups of natives did practice agriculture but at a very small scale. They had “practices of burning extensive sections of surrounding forests once or twice a year” (Cronon, pg. 49.). The benefits of doing this was enormous, they created conditions favorable for crops, prevented pests and diseases, and slowing down the weeds and thickets from growing to unfavorable conditions. For New England Indians, ecological diversity meant stability and a regular supply of things that kept them alive (Cronon, pg. 53.). The natives only used what they needed and did not lay much to waste. A fundamental difference between the natives and the colonists was the Europeans believed in and required permanent settlements. The concept of fixed land was one a European view and not a native one. “Cleared fields, pastures, fences, and so on”(Cronon, pg. 53.) were practices used widely among Europeans that did not maintain ecological diversity like the natives did. In the process they displaced many natives and disrupted their way of life. Europeans used agriculture on a more massive scale to have the added benefit trading to acquire more resources, which eventually led eventual landscape destruction that Indians had been so used to. “The central conflict between the natives and the colonists was in they way the interacted with their environments. The struggle was over the way of living... and it expressed itself into how peoples conceived property, wealth, and boundaries on the landscape”(Cronon, pg. 52.). Cronon has the ability to provide the reader with factual evidence from both sides (the natives and the Europeans) in a very equal manner. He is able to provide the reader with evidence from both perspectives of the story correctly; in this manner it makes this text free of bias and opinion, which is always a good quality in a book when looking at historical/ecological texts.
The change in landscape of New England was very pronounced when the colonists came to settle. From being covered with trees and the diversity being very great. The land was very healthy and everything flourished. When colonization first began, many of the settlers said they viewed the land as “merchantable commodity”(Cronon, pg. 20.). They saw the land as having infinite resources and therefore exploited the land to its max, not having any regard for the environment. At first there was plenty of everything, but because of how the Europeans exploited the lands and their agricultural practices, the land became hard to harvest. Many concerns arose from overusing land, using only on type of crop on a stretch of land, and letting livestock eat and graze on lands. But before any of the land could be used European usage, the land had to be cleared. Cutting down tress weren’t just for the purpose of building homes and providing Europe with wood, but also to be used as fuel. “More than 260 million cords”(Cronon, pg. 121.) of firewood was used to heat many homes in New England. Many townships had problems in obtaining wood because they had cuts down all trees near the proximity of their town. But the chief reason for the deforestation was because of the farmer, not because of what has previously been mentioned. Methods of clearing land were used regularly so farmers could support livestock and crops. In doing so, the fertility of the soil degraded, floods in the spring, and drought in the summer became common events. More wind and broader fluctuations in temperature also came with deforestation to make way for agriculture. Agriculture also had a long lasting change on the land. “…animals allowed the farmer to till much larger acreages than the Indians had done”(Cronon, pg. 129.). Diving the land among colonist and excluding the natives in these happenings was common. By diving the land amount each other fences became a common part of the scenery that were filled with livestock. “Pastures filled quickly with livestock, the farmer had to cut down more trees to make room for English Pastoralism” (Cronon, pg. 144.). Not only did deforestation cause erosion, so did the presence of livestock, which further change the landscape. It had the effect of gradually shifting the species composition of any forest used for pasture” as well. So not only do we see and change in scenery but we also seen a change in diversity in New England. Cronon does a superb job of proving evidence to support the cause of how and when the changes occurred in the land. He doesn’t seem to miss much information that would possibly leave the reader with questions. He maybe could have elaborated more on building of fences and the certain planting habits of the Europeans looked different from the Europeans.
The acquisition of goods to make profits were views deeply entrenched in the Europeans way of life.
When the colonists’ first started settling, there was plenty of everything. The Europeans took advantage of this and started producing or using in excess such as furs, wood, and crops to sell to others. This fundamental difference was that natives did not have much want for “things” and they didn’t place much value in materials, so consequently the colonists viewed them as “people devoid of wealth and comfort” (Cronon, pg. 79.). Cronon says that they Europeans “… brought the concept of value and scarcity which had been shaped by the social and ecological circumstances of northern Europe, and so perceived New England as natural great wealth.”(Cronon, pg. 168.). In this way the natives were alienated from the land and ways they have lived in for many years. The Europeans exploited the lands to provide themselves with what they needed but also export many goods to Europe. This created a complex trading system with the natives, colonists and Europeans. This trading system saw the alienation of natives, many animals, and the change in landscape, but also brought wealth to many colonists. As the demand rose for many commodities so did the expansion of colonist pastoralism. Much land changed because of the capitalist ways of the Europeans. Because of this capitalist system that was used Cronon mentions, “Capitalism and environmental degradation went hand in hand.” (Cronon, pg. 161.). The rise in capitalism saw the alienation of natives, animals, and a drastic change in landscape. Trade eventually lost much of its power because of the deterioration of the environment, and consequently, the natives didn’t have much to live off of and their numbers fell once again. I think Cronon does a superb job of explaining how commodity shaped the differences of western and native lands and cultures. Along with detailed information, there seems to be no bias towards the natives or
the colonists about who was right or wrong. He focuses on the change in land and how the people shaped it and how the land shaped the people. Natives and Europeans had vastly different cultures and Cronon tells the reader how they clashed and how the Europeans ended up on the wrong side of the deal. In my opinion a groundbreaking text like this takes an incredible amount of research, time and dedication at it reflects this in his work.
The telling of “Changes in the land” was presented in a story like fashion that makes the information easy to read and understand. Cronon tell the story in a very biased fashion, he doesn’t victimize the natives and make the Europeans look like villains in this text. Cronon rather explains that the natives willingly changed their way of live that eventually led to their downfall. Aside from disease, trade slowed down and many natives were pushed to lands that were infertile and couldn’t be plowed. Their nomadic lifestyle required a lot of land that the Europeans took as theirs. Not much could be done except to change to their way of life. The conversion of the land by the colonists drastically changed the ecology and diversity of New England forever. What once was is no longer. There was a sharp decline in diversity, and an increase in many weeds and pests. The climate seemed to change because many forests made it seem like winds weren’t as strong and they also kept water and temperature fluctuations to a minimum. Livestock and agriculture also aided in the destruction of ecology in New England. Livestock needed a lot of land to graze and field of crop to up a lot of land. This quote sums it up very well, “The transition to capitalism alienated the products of the land as much and the products of human labor, and so transformed natural communities as profoundly as it did by human ones.” (Cronon, pg. 170.) In my opinion Cronon implies that these changes the Europeans brought with them were for the worst. In my opinion he is right. The environment was in equilibrium with the natives and animals. The native’s way of life didn’t affect the land negatively, but the Europeans ways of life did. I think the sources and facts Cronon uses makes this a reasonable conclusion. He presented the material and didn’t reach for conclusions; he gave the reader the information and let them form their own opinions. It is because of this that the text is very convincing about how the Europeans brought change to New England.
References
Cronon, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. New York: Hill and Wang, 1983. Print.
changes that occurred in the colonial period in New England. This book demonstrates how humans shape the environment they are in. It provides readers with a great of environmental account that has change the lives of many people.
Natives’ years before landfall and colonization had been shaping the world around them. They lived very nomadic lifestyles that brought them all around the land depending on the seasons and where the food was this lead to a lesser impact on the environment. Many groups of natives did practice agriculture but at a very small scale. They had “practices of burning extensive sections of surrounding forests once or twice a year” (Cronon, pg. 49.). The benefits of doing this was enormous, they created conditions favorable for crops, prevented pests and diseases, and slowing down the weeds and thickets from growing to unfavorable conditions. For New England Indians, ecological diversity meant stability and a regular supply of things that kept them alive (Cronon, pg. 53.). The natives only used what they needed and did not lay much to waste. A fundamental difference between the natives and the colonists was the Europeans believed in and required permanent settlements. The concept of fixed land was one a European view and not a native one. “Cleared fields, pastures, fences, and so on”(Cronon, pg. 53.) were practices used widely among Europeans that did not maintain ecological diversity like the natives did. In the process they displaced many natives and disrupted their way of life. Europeans used agriculture on a more massive scale to have the added benefit trading to acquire more resources, which eventually led eventual landscape destruction that Indians had been so used to. “The central conflict between the natives and the colonists was in they way the interacted with their environments. The struggle was over the way of living... and it expressed itself into how peoples conceived property, wealth, and boundaries on the landscape”(Cronon, pg. 52.). Cronon has the ability to provide the reader with factual evidence from both sides (the natives and the Europeans) in a very equal manner. He is able to provide the reader with evidence from both perspectives of the story correctly; in this manner it makes this text free of bias and opinion, which is always a good quality in a book when looking at historical/ecological texts.
The change in landscape of New England was very pronounced when the colonists came to settle. From being covered with trees and the diversity being very great. The land was very healthy and everything flourished. When colonization first began, many of the settlers said they viewed the land as “merchantable commodity”(Cronon, pg. 20.). They saw the land as having infinite resources and therefore exploited the land to its max, not having any regard for the environment. At first there was plenty of everything, but because of how the Europeans exploited the lands and their agricultural practices, the land became hard to harvest. Many concerns arose from overusing land, using only on type of crop on a stretch of land, and letting livestock eat and graze on lands. But before any of the land could be used European usage, the land had to be cleared. Cutting down tress weren’t just for the purpose of building homes and providing Europe with wood, but also to be used as fuel. “More than 260 million cords”(Cronon, pg. 121.) of firewood was used to heat many homes in New England. Many townships had problems in obtaining wood because they had cuts down all trees near the proximity of their town. But the chief reason for the deforestation was because of the farmer, not because of what has previously been mentioned. Methods of clearing land were used regularly so farmers could support livestock and crops. In doing so, the fertility of the soil degraded, floods in the spring, and drought in the summer became common events. More wind and broader fluctuations in temperature also came with deforestation to make way for agriculture. Agriculture also had a long lasting change on the land. “…animals allowed the farmer to till much larger acreages than the Indians had done”(Cronon, pg. 129.). Diving the land among colonist and excluding the natives in these happenings was common. By diving the land amount each other fences became a common part of the scenery that were filled with livestock. “Pastures filled quickly with livestock, the farmer had to cut down more trees to make room for English Pastoralism” (Cronon, pg. 144.). Not only did deforestation cause erosion, so did the presence of livestock, which further change the landscape. It had the effect of gradually shifting the species composition of any forest used for pasture” as well. So not only do we see and change in scenery but we also seen a change in diversity in New England. Cronon does a superb job of proving evidence to support the cause of how and when the changes occurred in the land. He doesn’t seem to miss much information that would possibly leave the reader with questions. He maybe could have elaborated more on building of fences and the certain planting habits of the Europeans looked different from the Europeans.
The acquisition of goods to make profits were views deeply entrenched in the Europeans way of life.
When the colonists’ first started settling, there was plenty of everything. The Europeans took advantage of this and started producing or using in excess such as furs, wood, and crops to sell to others. This fundamental difference was that natives did not have much want for “things” and they didn’t place much value in materials, so consequently the colonists viewed them as “people devoid of wealth and comfort” (Cronon, pg. 79.). Cronon says that they Europeans “… brought the concept of value and scarcity which had been shaped by the social and ecological circumstances of northern Europe, and so perceived New England as natural great wealth.”(Cronon, pg. 168.). In this way the natives were alienated from the land and ways they have lived in for many years. The Europeans exploited the lands to provide themselves with what they needed but also export many goods to Europe. This created a complex trading system with the natives, colonists and Europeans. This trading system saw the alienation of natives, many animals, and the change in landscape, but also brought wealth to many colonists. As the demand rose for many commodities so did the expansion of colonist pastoralism. Much land changed because of the capitalist ways of the Europeans. Because of this capitalist system that was used Cronon mentions, “Capitalism and environmental degradation went hand in hand.” (Cronon, pg. 161.). The rise in capitalism saw the alienation of natives, animals, and a drastic change in landscape. Trade eventually lost much of its power because of the deterioration of the environment, and consequently, the natives didn’t have much to live off of and their numbers fell once again. I think Cronon does a superb job of explaining how commodity shaped the differences of western and native lands and cultures. Along with detailed information, there seems to be no bias towards the natives or
the colonists about who was right or wrong. He focuses on the change in land and how the people shaped it and how the land shaped the people. Natives and Europeans had vastly different cultures and Cronon tells the reader how they clashed and how the Europeans ended up on the wrong side of the deal. In my opinion a groundbreaking text like this takes an incredible amount of research, time and dedication at it reflects this in his work.
The telling of “Changes in the land” was presented in a story like fashion that makes the information easy to read and understand. Cronon tell the story in a very biased fashion, he doesn’t victimize the natives and make the Europeans look like villains in this text. Cronon rather explains that the natives willingly changed their way of live that eventually led to their downfall. Aside from disease, trade slowed down and many natives were pushed to lands that were infertile and couldn’t be plowed. Their nomadic lifestyle required a lot of land that the Europeans took as theirs. Not much could be done except to change to their way of life. The conversion of the land by the colonists drastically changed the ecology and diversity of New England forever. What once was is no longer. There was a sharp decline in diversity, and an increase in many weeds and pests. The climate seemed to change because many forests made it seem like winds weren’t as strong and they also kept water and temperature fluctuations to a minimum. Livestock and agriculture also aided in the destruction of ecology in New England. Livestock needed a lot of land to graze and field of crop to up a lot of land. This quote sums it up very well, “The transition to capitalism alienated the products of the land as much and the products of human labor, and so transformed natural communities as profoundly as it did by human ones.” (Cronon, pg. 170.) In my opinion Cronon implies that these changes the Europeans brought with them were for the worst. In my opinion he is right. The environment was in equilibrium with the natives and animals. The native’s way of life didn’t affect the land negatively, but the Europeans ways of life did. I think the sources and facts Cronon uses makes this a reasonable conclusion. He presented the material and didn’t reach for conclusions; he gave the reader the information and let them form their own opinions. It is because of this that the text is very convincing about how the Europeans brought change to New England.
References
Cronon, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. New York: Hill and Wang, 1983. Print.