Changes In The Land By Cronon Review Essay Example for Free

Changes In The Land By Cronon Review Essay Changes in the Land by William Cronon offers countless intimate observations and gatherings regarding the ecology of New England and the encounters between the colonists and the native americans. Cronon interprets and analyzes the different happenings in New Englands plant and animal environments that occurred with the shift from Indian to European dominance. As the distant world and inhabitants of Europe were introduced to North Americas ecosystem, the boundaries between the two were blurred. Cronon uses an arsenal of evidence to discuss the circumstances that brought upon drastic ecological consequences following European contact with New England. Cronon made use of reports and records in addition to scientific data as evidence for his arguments. Court records, town hall records, descriptions by travelers, surveyor records, etc. proved invaluable to Cronons arguments. Europeans saw the land from an economic standpoint and tended to focus upon merchantable commodities, ignoring economically insignificant aspects of nature. Cronon stated that the environment the Europeans first encountered in New England stunned them. Early descriptions were restricted to the coastline, but the accounts all agreed on the astounding level of animal and plant life in New England. The european settlers were not used to so much untamed land, as landscape for hunting in England was reserved to large landowners and the Crown. Heavy forests covered the New England terrain, which was also new to the settlers, as England had exhausted most of its timber as fuel. European settlers were struck by the absence of domesticated animals, which played a vital role in European agriculture. The European settlers and the Indians had different values on life and had differing opinions on how they should use the land around them. According to Cronon, Many  European visitors were struck by what seemed to them the poverty of Indians who lived in the midst of a landscape endowed so astonishingly with  abundance The Europeans often criticized the Indian way of life. They failed to understand why the Indians willingly went hungry during the winter months when they knew food scarcity was impending. The settlers were impressed by the frequent burnings the Indians performed in the f orest, which allowed for better hunting grounds and planting fields. However, the settlers criticized the division of labor between the Indian males and females. The Europeans practiced land ownership, while most Indians believed merely in territorial rights. To the Indians, people owned what they made with their own hands. Agricultural fields, gathering areas, and fishing sites could be owned, but unique patterns were formed for the hunting of different animals. The settlers were either granted their land by the crown, or they purchased it from the natives. This very act by the crown of granting land with no consideration of prior ownership demonstrates both the views of Europeans towards land-use and their disregard for the Indians claims to it. Instead of the seasonal migration that the Indians practiced, European settlers strove to improve the land. This meant a greater use of agriculture than the Indians. The use of livestock such as cattle, hogs, and sheep to the environment was also introduced. The Europeans destroyed large swaths of forest in order to provide space for crops and pasture. Forests were used for fences, ships masts, potash, and fuel. Deforestation killed Indian hunting grounds, forever changing their way of life. Deforestation altered microclimates, hydrology, and soil mechanics. Swamps developed in previously dry places, promoting disease in those areas. Trade had a profound affect on the area, forcing Indians to put prices on certain items for the first time. Europeans traded wampum from the Long Island Sound up  into New England in exchange for products such as furs. Indian economies were now tied to international markets, and they had an incentive to produce more than just self-sufficient numbers of products. Technology also made hunting increasingly easier. Animal populations in New England were strained, and in several instances were overhunted. The fur trade in the north dried up by the end of the 17th century, and even the deer populations were diminishing. As trade goods dried up, Indians were forced to give up their only remaining  commodity-land. By far the most dangerous organisms that the Europeans carried to America were diseases. The first recorded epidemic in New England took place in the south in 1616. Depopulation promoted conditions of turmoil while also justifying the European seizure of Indian lands. As the Indian populations diminished, edges returned to the forest, further harming the local animal populations. Attacks by colonists and intertribal warfare concentrated Indians into denser, more permanent settlements, which promoted the spread of disease. Invasions by European animals required that the Indians build fences to protect their crops. Now living in permanent, fenced-in, and densely populated settlements, the Indian way of life was more similar to that of Europe than to their original way of life.

Waiting :: Papers

Waiting I'm ill again. It doesn't surprise me. Deja vu. I had to catch the bus from outside school, after persuading my teachers that I was going to a doctors appointment and not just skipping lessons. I have been waiting on these hard back plastic seats for nearly an hour just for one other doctor in this world to give me some antibiotics and send on my way home. This time I have come to the hospital because Mum thinks the infections getting serious, I cant notice the difference though. The hospital is a lot different from the doctors in town. I suppose its bound to be though. On the wall in front of me there is a big clock, and every minute I sit here it seems to go slower and slower. There are Doctors rushing everywhere. I don't really think I want to be a doctor. You have to be good at science. I'm not. A man has just walked in through the automatic sliding doors, which allow an artic wind to run right through my body. He is wearing big black boots with a headscarf tied loosely around the big matt of curly hair left messily on his head. Pulled tightly over his big fat stomach is a t-shirt saying Greenpeace on it. His trousers are black and come to just above his ankle. He reminds me a lot like the man that used to own the music shop in town. A young boy follows him. I think it must be his son as he too has curly hair and is wearing a similar t-shirt saying Greenpeace. He doesn't look at all happy. His arms are tightly folded and you can see he has been crying. I bet his Mums expecting a baby and he doesn't want it to be a girl. Yes I am right, they have just made their way towards the labour ward. They'll be waiting a long time in there. Every so often a policeman will walk past. They all look so bored, like me. I used to want to be a police lady, but not anymore.

Ten Little Indians

Fritz Perls once said â€Å"I am not in this world to live up to other people's expectations, nor do I feel that the world must live up to mine. † In the short story The Search Engine, by Sherman Alexie, the Native American culture is trying to live up to the expectations of the white world. The main character Corliss, a Spokane Indian, is expected to do well in college so she can move back to the reservation to help her tribe. There is also a cultural difference between our world and that of the Spokane when it comes to the roles of gender.Corliss is a very bright individual who has plans beyond the Spokane reservation. When Corliss was younger she was ridiculed for her love of reading. Even though her passion for reading is part of the reason she was able to attend college, the men in her tribe still disagree with reading about nineteenth century white people. Despite the disagreements they are all very proud that she is pursuing a higher education. Corliss’s parents boast about how Corliss will one day come back to fix everything that is wrong with the tribe.In reality they are ignorant to Corliss’s real dreams and ambitions. Gender roles can be defined as the behaviors and attitudes expected of male and female members of a society by that society. In the Spokane tribe the women made more money and held better jobs than the men. In our society, even with more equality for women today, men earn a substantial amount more than women do. For the Spokane men to just sit around and brag about their spouses’ accomplishments seems unreal to our culture.Native American culture is very different from that of American culture. Rather than the Spokane tribesmen trying to better the tribe themselves, they are counting on Corliss to graduate law school and fix the problems of the tribe. The men of the tribe are not fully applying themselves to employment, the tribe, or each other. The values, goals, and practices of the Spokane tribe make their culture foreign to the average American.

Killer Angels Essay - 466 Words

The novel The Killer Angles, by Michael Shaara, gives a story like depiction of the American Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg. In this novel we see the views of both Confederate and Union armies. The officers for both sides in this novel used to go to war with each other but are now on different sides according to their political views. In the end both armies realized the war had accomplished nothing but all the deaths of soldiers. During the novel, the armies are going to war against their opponents and not necessarily their enemies.Despite the fact that the Confederate and Union armies were entirely concerned with defeating their opponent, many times they were fighting against relatives and friends. For instance, General†¦show more content†¦These two men were at one time friends. Again during the war, officers make a realization about the war. Longstreet realizes that Armistead and Garnett are dead and that Kemper was dying (P.358). Then he sees the true facts that this war had accomplished nothing but the deaths of great men.Shaaras theory was that the war accomplished nothing but deaths. This theory has been considered before by many men, most likely the men of the war. George Pickett knows the war is not just about slavery (P. 71). In the Battle of Gettysburg thousands of men died for almost nothing. Of course the main cause of the war was slavery, but other circumstances contributed to the cause of the civil war, such as the election of Abraham Lincoln.This book contributes a detailed description and story of the Battle of Gettysburg. Many books about Gettysburg give a biography about the battle and the commanders, but this book makes the commanders and soldiers come to life. It shows actual feelings about the war. While most books give a narrative monologue of the battle. This book brings characters to life and gives a detailed description of the battle.This novel has raised questions in my mind because I was unaware of the real battle; but it raises no new questions to society such as Hofstadters writings. This novel gives a very accurate description of the Battle of Gettysburg. This novel also shows the importance of each battle and each division in each of these battles. MoreoverShow MoreRelatedEssay On Killer Angels1776 Words   |  8 PagesKiller Angels is a 1974 historical novel by Michael Shaara. The book tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. The novel is told through the voices of both Union army and Confederate Army of Northern Virginia leaders who were in battle there. The novel is laid out in days and each new chapter for the day gives a number and the name of the man who is the focus of the chapter. In Killer Angels, the Army of Northern Virginia’s demise is highlighted by a few different featuresRe ad More Killer Angels Essay2541 Words   |  11 Pages The Killer Angels The Battle of Gettysburg brought the dueling North and South together to the small town of Gettysburg and on the threshold of splitting the Union. Gettysburg was as close as the United States got to Armageddon and The Killer Angels gives the full day-to-day account of the battle that shaped America’s future. Michael Shaara tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of the generals and men involved in the action of the battle. The historical account of the BattleRead MoreKiller Angels Essay714 Words   |  3 PagesKiller Angels The pain, joy, bloodshed, death, and sorrow of the Civil War are all contained in the book called, The Killer Angels. This book will show you the thoughts, feelings and actions of many of the leaders of both armies. By reading this book you will get an in depth view of the bloodiest days of the Civil War. Even if you know absolutely nothing about this war, you can still read and understand everything that is portrayed. This story not only gives you the view of many of theRead MoreThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1634 Words   |  7 PagesAuthor Background Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Shaara, the author of The Killer Angels, was born on June 23, 1928 in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was an author of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. Although writing was his passion, Shaara was very athletically successful in high school, winning more awards than any other student in the history of the school for sports such as basketball, track and baseball. He acquired a skill in boxing, and of the 18 matches ShaaraRead MoreThe Killer Angels By Abraham Lincoln1046 Words   |  5 Pagesagainst itself cannot stand.† Lincoln believes that there is no such thing as a balance between free and slave states and that the two contradictory governments are bound to fall. That describes the conflict that occurs in the fictional novel, The Killer Angels, a civil war story between the Union and Confederate states fighting to achieve the government they yearn for. The setting takes place in the midst of the Battle of Gettysburg as the two sides prepare for the fight. The Confederate officers include:Read MoreThe Killer Angels Book Review1641 Words   |  7 PagesKatie Cline The Killer Angels Book Review June 21, 2012 The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara: The Random House Publishing Group, New York, 1974. The Killer Angels is a stunning recollection of the telltale battle of the Civil War: the Battle of Gettysburg. Set from June 29 to July 3, 1863 and told from the vantage points of several soldiers and commanding officers from both sides, including Lee, Longstreet, and Chamberlain, Michael Shaara effectively paints a picture of the war that divided AmericaRead MoreThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1206 Words   |  5 PagesShawn Gacy American Lit. Mrs. Moyer September 11, 2015 Summer Reading The book I chose to read over the summer was the book The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara. The Killer Angels tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 1, 1863, the Confederate army, and the Union army, fought the largest battle of the American Civil War. When the battle ended, fifty one thousand men were KIA (Killed In Action), wounded, or MIA (Missing in Action). All the characters in this book are basedRead MoreThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Killer Angels is a novel written by Michael Shaara which tells the story of the four day battle of Gettysburg from June 30 and ended July 3, 1863.There were two armies in the novel the Union and the Confederate soliders who eneded up fighting in a town called Gettysburg located in Pennsylvania. In the novel, there are four major characters who were all Generals, General Lee, General Longstreet, General Pickett, and Colonel Chamberlain.The main cause of the war was the confederate wanting to splitRead MoreThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1117 Words   |  5 Pages Michael Shaara’s 1974 historical novel, The Killer Angels, covers the story of the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg that also features maps for visualization. The format of the story is well organized. It begins with a Foreword, which describes in great detail the armies and soldiers involved in the battle. It follows up with four sections and within each section there are chapters that are written in chronological order, covering the events between Monday, June 29, 1863 and Friday, July 3Read MoreThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1947 Words   |  8 Pagesthe dueling North and South together to the small town of Gettysburg and on the threshold of splitting the Union. Gettysburg was as close as the United States got to Armageddon and The Killer Angels gives this full day-to-day account of the battle that shaped America’s future. Michael Shaara author of â€Å"The Killer Angels,† tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of generals Robe rt E. Lee, Joshua Chamberlain, James Longstreet, and John Buford, and the other men involved in the action