American Landscapes Midterm

Landscape

the visible features of an area of land, but also the culture, history, ideologies, and aspects that you can feel and smell

Environmental determinism

idea that the physical environment shapes humans and societies

Ellen Churchill Semple

Carl Sauer

father of American Cultural and historical geography

took a direct aim and opposition at environmental determinism

“Morphology of the landscape”

The Berkeley school

Palimpsest

something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form

the forms superimposed on the physical landscape by the activities of humanity

“Sedimented in the landscape”

time, human culture, and physical processes become physically etched into the Earth's surface

Landscape is “dripping with power”

Landscapes are contested; groups disagree on how they should look, and whoever has the most power usually decides

Etymology of “America”

named for Amerigo Vespucci who sailed on behalf of Spain and Portugal

Germans Martin Waldseemuller and Matthias Ringmann refer to “New World” as “America”

Physical Geography

Study of Spatial distribution, why they are where they are and why they aren’t

Similarities in landmasses

broad in the North and taper to a point in the South

carry their great mountains on the western side, pacific edge

keep their oldest most worn highlands in the east

spread wide plains between these highland areas

Dissimilarities in landmasses

point south rather than towards equator together

ex. Amazonia, Northeast America is deprived

ex. Boreal forests/tundra, Southeast South America is too narrow to have

Humboldt’s '“Life Zone Concepts”

Alexander von Humboldt analyzed the slopes of the Andes mountains

proved that spatial ecosystems change systematically based on climate, altitude, and latitude

Arid Areas

1) Subtropical highs: Sinking, warming air masses near 15° to 30° latitude inhibit cloud formation and rainfall — permanent high pressure cells sit offshore, their sinking air is warm, stable, and dry

2) Cold currents: Cold offshore water cools air above it, reducing moisture capacity and preventing cloud development along coastlines — California currents suppress rain in the west

3) Rain shadow effect: High mountain ranges block moisture-bearing winds, leaving leeward areas dry — windward side of cordillera= wet leeward sides=dry

The Atacama desert

Iquique Chile: driest inhabited desert on earth

rain shadow effect: Extreme dryness is caused by the towering Andes blocking moisture from the east and the frigid coastal Humboldt Current cooling surface air, preventing rain clouds from forming

Where do people live?

total: 1.1 billion

United States: 350 million

Canada: 40 million

Latin America: 630 million

Caribbean: 45 million

pacific islands: 0.5 million

Indigenous America(ns)

name “America” is only approx. 5k years old, but American people have been here for at least 15-20k years

Indigenous peoples are defined as through where they are located

indigenous peoples are a nation

Beringia

region that once connected northeastern Asia and northwestern North America during the Pleistocene Ice Age

served as a primary migration route for plants, animals, and Indigenous peoples moving between Asia and the Americas

Indigenous peoples of the americas

estimated to be tens of millions prior to 1492, most famous estimate by Denevan is approx. 55 million, colonization lowed this by 90%

largest populations located in Mexico and Andes, still millions elsewhere, extremely diverse (language, religion, clothing) especially how they shaped the landscape

Variety of survival strategies: hunter gatherers, agriculturalists, intensive agriculture

“Pristine Myth” Bill Deneven

misconception about Americas before european colonization that Romanticizes Native Americans as “primitive” “one with nature”

indigenous peoples transformed their landscape utilizing resources and land to supply their populations needs

ex. agriculture, land, fisheries, forest management, use of fire

Colonialism

formal establishment of rule over a foreign population

major modern colonial powers: british, spanish, russian empire

“Gold, god, and glory” “we came here to serve god… and also to get rich

Pre-Cursors to European Colonialism

wanting to trade with the east

trade routes controlled by others: byzantine empire to ottoman empire

advancements in technology, navigation, and weaponry

Moorish rule/influence

Africa begins at the Pyrenees

1/3 of modern Spanish is of Arabic derivation

Architecture influence, “upward mobility” marry someone with darker skin

La Reconquista

rising conservatism in Islam

state relationship with catholic church

royal patronage and tithe administration in conquered lands

In 1492

seek out trade routes with the east, western passage to the east indies, august departure - October arrive to Bahamas - cuba and hispaniola

Isabella refused to finance him until he promised to “liberate Jerusalem” from Muslim rule

Subsequent voyages

1) lesser antilles

2) norther coast of south america

3) eastern coast of central america

Treaty of Tordesillas 1494

divided into 2 spheres: territorios de Castilla, and territorios de Portugal

christian king stipulation

The mainland

Cortes arrived in 1519 with small army in Yucatan

divide and conquer strategy = putting them against each other

Mines

Employed slave Indigenous labor

ex. Potosi Bolivia, hub of silver production

exploit for the spanish not for the Inca

Encomienda land grant system

grant land area and are entitled to the work of people who live there, essentially slaves

forced Native Americans to brutal conditions, disease, starvation, cruel treatment, caused decline in Native American population

Spanish colonies

fragmented in 1820’s and gained independence

brazil did not

European Powers

other such as British, Dutch, and French want to get in action 1500-1600s

James Towne Colony

1607 Virginia

first permanent English settlement in America

Western Movement

the “frontier” desire to take all the free land

Forced Migration

camp of transport in French Guiana: to inprison them and sent them away

Penal Settlements

Common Threads

extraction of value from the landscape physically and culturally ex. slavery

cheap nature and cheap labor

Race to the bottom: more ruthless = more profit

subjugation or extermination of indigenous peoples

Mercantilism

maximize exports and minimize imports derive the maximum material benefits from the colony with a minimum investment in the colony itself

ex. lumbar in colonies are sent to England to add value