Cronon, W.

Changes in the land: Indians, Colonists and the Ecology of New England
(1983). Review.

William Cronon’s book is about the Indians and European settlers that came through
conquering the Americas. The setting of the book is in the Americas particularly New
England. The author traces the people and the induced impact in the environment. One
major contribution to the field of environmental history. Looking away from human
political and social institutions, the book observes natural entities. For example, the
forest, beavers, soil and other entities. The 1800s New England became dominated by
plenty plants and animals, until its conquest by Europeans. Changes in the environment
is documented before settlement and during and after. Cronon depicts the nature as a
thriving ecosystem that was not disturbed by settlers. For instance, the thick trees that
were not easy to navigate, the flocks of birds and ducks. Cronon mainly divides the
book in three fragments, which are the natives’ relationship with nature, the influence
Europeans had on native Indians on their relationship with the natural environment and
how their colonisation impacted nature. English settlers, inspired new methods of
agriculture, put borders on the land for territorial claim. Before colonisation Indians were
hunter gathers, never worried about seasonal changes, less restrictions through borders
meant more acquisition of resources with a custom of sustainability. New methods of
agriculture saw Indians, overgrazing, lacking sustainable methods of survival.

The book is a good addition to the discipline-environmental history. It stems from the
great scholarly works of the Columbian exchange. As such instead of human as the
main characters, natural entities are also at the centre. It maps societies as drivers of
environmental change. For example, the soil becoming thin and susceptible to erosion
due to domestication of livestock, the patching society through borders, and other
geographical/political ideas that modify the land and determines access to resources.
European colonisation altered the level of environmental impact, because they had a
different way of life. Desires to acquire more resources for profit, means, extensive
fishing, commercialisation, which demanded more from the environment.

Reviewer one:
Rhys Isaac (1984)1, develops his analysis by quoting Cronon that “All humans groups
consciously change their environments to some extent” thus making us distinguishable
from other species. The traditional way of history writing has influenced the
historiography of New England. As it is inclined towards biases visible in the writings of
Perry Miller. As such Cronon provides neutral perspective, through the observation of
the rocky, marshy and sandy landscapes on New England. Brought cross cultural
perspectives to abolish biased representation of historical and environmental change of
New England. To observe change over time he made reference to two mythic notions by
Henry David Thoreau. First-that he experienced a sense of loss seeing the environment
of his time – (24 January 1855). For instance, “emasculated country” Maimed and
imperfect nature”. Compared to the times of other previous scholars of the 1600s, that
was “teemed with fierce game “and “nobler animal”. William Cronon’s book is valid in
mapping changes of the land through the lens of different perspective. Since both
societies will have differences in views of nature and their attitudes and impact towards
it. For instance, the English proposing their actions as of colonising the land for
protection while and the disapproving the Indians ways as exploitative. Rhys then points
out that the history of the encounter of Natives and invaders was not much brough to
light. The ecology of the land and the Natives were not present in these studies. He also
thinks that the Cronon focuses on “measurable attributes of human populations, rather
than societies active agents of agents that interact with the ecosystem”.

Reviewer two:

According to Yasuhide (1985)2 the book is divided into three themes/notions. First, “the
Indian relations to the environment, European influence on Indian control of nature and
the effects of European settlement on the environment.” Indians were utilitarians not
preservationists, as such they managed to maintain sustainability. Which they see the
land and animals as resources. Indian agricultural practices had minimal impact on the

1
. Rhys, Reviewed Work: “Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England” by William
Cronon.
2
. Yasuhide, K., Reviewed work (1985): Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New
England” by William Cronon.
environment. For example, they were not confined but were more dynamic, which
meant excess supply of natural resources. The early contact stages of Europeans and
Indians was sufficient for European influence on Indians. This enabled by epidemics
which was responsible for depopulation of the natives. The settlers mined the forest,
fish and soil which brought devastating effects on the nature. They transformed New
England and altered the Indians ways of interacting with the environment. According to
Yasuhide, Cronon generalises, by making it seem as all whites being capitalists. Also,
the gives implications that the differences in notions and perspectives towards nature
between Indians and Europeans is a matter of degree not of type, not “recognising
Indians as ecologists”.3 He believes the author should have highlighted opposing
interests or given more focus. Provides understanding of colonial New England ecology,
although fails to provide us with early American environmental history.

Reviewer three:

According to Tyler Veak4 Cronon’s book revolutionised the thoughts about

environmental history. For example, he recreated people’s perspectives about New
England, by challenging the recycled history writing of precolonial America. Veak
believes the book provided native Americans a sense of agency and made the barrier
between nature and humans thin. As a result, humans are not viewed as separate
entities from nature. Also prompted new ways of viewing and writing American history
and history in general.

Veak support the ideas of Cronon, that they are well presented and are a great
contribution to the field of environmental history and environmentalism. The ideas of
human-nature relations are a retreat from functionalism thinking that environmental
history tended to incline towards.

My own analysis.

3
. Yasuhide, K., Reviewed work (1985): Changes in the Land”.by William Cronon.

4
. Veak, T., Reviewed work (2002): Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New
England” by William Cronon.
Rhys’s view of humans as change agents I agree that it is valid, because humans
modify the environment in order to suite their needs. Changes of the environment does
not necessarily have to be negative, although the line between positive and negative
are thin. His idea relates so much as the one of Donald Worster the levels of
environmental history, that changes of the environment is particularly driven by human
activities. Yasuhide viewing the book in three parts, relates to the ideas of Rhys of
cross-cultural perspectives. For instance, he presented both Indians ways that could be
possible to change nature and also the introduction of European culture and its impacts.
It is for me equal and unbiased and also develops the topic of changes in the land,
because you are able to map and observe change and continuity. Yasuhide explaining
how depopulation enabled the Europeans influence of Indians relations to nature is
valid. Also, I believe it paved a way to new social structures and the changes in diet
meant the increase of population and immunity. In-turn meant more pressure on the lad
and demand of new social order.

Rhys believes Cronon focuses on “measurable attributes of human populations, rather

than societies active agents of agents that interact with the ecosystem”. I would argue
that the societies attributes are a great way to measure change. Because society’s
practices are embedded in the environment that they occupy, which then depict change.

In conclusion Changes in the land for me is a great extension and example of scholarly
work by Crosby-The Colombian exchange. Reason being that it focused on the
biological impacts instead of social and political changes, although both of the ideas not
straying too far from human influence.
 Reference

Rhys, I., Reviewed Work (1984): “Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the
Ecology of New England” by William Cronon.

Yasuhide, K., Reviewed work (1985): Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the
Ecology of New England” by William Cronon.

Veak, T., Reviewed work (2002): Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the
Ecology of New England” by William Cronon.