Nature and the Environment in Nineteenth-Century American Life (Daily Life Through History Series)

by Brian C. Black

Overview

The nineteenth-century saw a significant transformation in the United States. In one short century, the nation had seen the populating of the Great Plains and West, the decimation of native Indian tribes, the growth of national transportation and communication networks, and the rise of major cities. The century also witnessed the destruction of the nation's forests, battles over land and water, and the ascent of agribusiness. With these changes in resource use patterns and values came a concordant shift in attitudes toward nature. Conservation and preservation emerged as watchwords for the 1900s. The century that started with an attitude of environmental conquest thus ended by embracing conservation and a new environmental awareness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313332012
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/30/2006
Series:	Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.62(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Brian Black is associate professor in the departments of history and environmental studies at Penn State University, Altoona. He is the author of PETROLIA: The Landscape of America's First Oil Boom.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: The Wonder of Nature
Expanding Colonial Systems
Variations on the Agricultural Ideal
Technology Leads the Day
Corridors of Trade
Speaking for Nature
Civil War
The Ethic of Extraction
Factories in the Field
Cities and Worker Reform
Prioritizing Nature
Epilogue: The New Niagara and the Preservation Ethic

Editorial Reviews

Students looking for well-documented fact bites for research papers will find the book useful….The book begins and ends with a fascinating narrative on the trashing and subsequent restoration of Niagara Falls in the 19th century. Recommended. Public and general libraries, and reference collections serving lower-level undergraduates.” —Choice

“Black considers changing ideas about nature and the environment in nineteenth-century America, beginning with colonial times. He discusses the influence of agriculture, technology, trade areas, nature writing, mining, farming, the environment during the Civil War, factories and industrialization, and conservation efforts toward the end of the century.” —SciTech Book News

From the Publisher