Overview
This groundbreaking volume offers a fresh approach to conceptualizing the historical geography of North America by taking a thematic rather than a traditional regional perspective. Leading geographers, building on current scholarship in the field, explore five central themes. Part I explores the settling and resettling of the continent through the experiences of Native Americans, early European arrivals, and Africans. Part II examines nineteenth-century European immigrants, the reconfiguration of Native society, and the internal migration of African Americans. Part III considers human transformations of the natural landscape in carving out a transportation network, replumbing waterways, extracting timber and minerals, preserving wilderness, and protecting wildlife. Part IV focuses on human landscapes, blending discussions of the visible imprint of society and distinctive approaches to interpreting these features. The authors discuss survey systems, regional landscapes, and tourist and mythic landscapes as well as the role of race, gender, and photographic representation in shaping our understanding of past landscapes. Part V follows the urban impulse in an analysis of the development of the mercantile city, nineteenth- and twentieth-century planning, and environmental justice. With its focus on human-environment interactions, the mobility of people, and growing urbanization, this thoughtful text will give students a uniquely geographical way to understand North American history. Contributions by: Derek H. Alderman, Timothy G. Anderson, Kevin Blake, Christopher G. Boone, Geoffrey L. Buckley, Craig E. Colten, Michael P. Conzen, Lary M. Dilsaver, Mona Domosh, William E. Doolittle, Joshua Inwood, Ines M. Miyares, E. Arnold Modlin, Jr., Edward K. Muller, Michael D. Myers, Karl Raitz, Jasper Rubin, Joan M. Schwartz, Steven Silvern, Andrew Sluyter, Jeffrey S. Smith, Robert Wilson, William Wyckoff, and Yolonda Youngs
Full Product Details
Author: Craig E. Colten ,
Geoffrey L. Buckley
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield
Dimensions:
Width: 18.20cm
, Height: 2.80cm
, Length: 25.20cm
Weight: 0.957kg
ISBN: 9781442215856
ISBN 10: 1442215852
Pages: 460
Publication Date: 27 March 2014
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
This innovative collection of essays by leading scholars shows how North America came to look the way it does. Its thematic organization makes connections past and present in ways that students will appreciate. -- Richard Harris, McMaster University In North American Odyssey, Craig Colten and Geoff Buckley have included some of the best scholars in the field. The book is, by turn, informative, inspiring, and provocative. A good read. -- Stanley W. Trimble, emeritus, UCLA
Editors Colten and Buckley envisioned their book to update and complement earlier historical geographies of the continent. The topical and methodological framework employed by the editors provides a vibrant survey of the breadth and depth of the discourse, themes, and controversies currently energizing the discipline of historical geography. The authoritative roster of scholars, their thought-provoking essay foci, and the structuring of the collection coalesce into a unifying rhythm and energy that is not often found in edited volumes. The 22 essays are divided into five sections focusing on indigenous societies and European settlement; 19th-century industrialization and westward expansion; nature-society interactions; perception and identity; and urban issues. The fourth section, 'Shaping the Landscape,' is the lengthiest and theoretically strongest, featuring seven essays tackling such subjects as race, gender, tourism, and mythogenesis. Individual essays throughout the collection present a well-balanced epistemological treatment broaching traditional and critical approaches. The essays are nicely adorned with over 100 well-chosen and attractive maps and archival photographs. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. CHOICE This innovative collection of essays by leading scholars shows how North America came to look the way it does. Its thematic organization makes connections past and present in ways that students will appreciate. -- Richard Harris, McMaster University In North American Odyssey, Craig Colten and Geoff Buckley have included some of the best scholars in the field. The book is, by turn, informative, inspiring, and provocative. A good read. -- Stanley W. Trimble, emeritus, UCLA
Author Information
Craig E. Colten is the Carl O. Sauer Professor of Geography at Louisiana State University. Geoffrey L. Buckley is Professor of Geography at Ohio University.
