Changes in the Land

Changes in the Land

William Cronon describes the way the atmosphere and ecosystem affected in the olden times of New England in his book “Changes in the Land”. The context of the book not only describes the Indians or New England colonists, but also how the land became itself and different perspectives on how the resources in the land should be allocated.

Various opinions arise within each chapter of the book on how the land should be efficiently used according to the needs of the people. Examples would include: capitalism, agriculture, habitats, ownership, and cultural use. Interaction occurred with all of them but the dominant one in my opinion would have to be capitalism. Capitalism occurs like it would occur today, to “benefit yourself to a greater good”. The economic expansion was the main theme of the journey to the new world. Cronon argues that “New England ecology was transformed as the region became integrated into the emerging capitalist economy of the North Atlantic” (pg.161). Therefore, deforestation had to transpire for the colonists to take control of the market. (Rewrite) They started by cutting down trees for ”clearing fields for agriculture were a necessary adjunct of a European rural economy, and often bore only an indirect relationship to production for market” (pg.108). A variety of resources occurred “like furs, timber products were among the earliest merchantable commodities.” (pg.109). Cedar, black oak, white oak, lumber, and other various source of income were “sent back to Europe to repay their debts to financial backers” (pg109). Trading became an essential point in the economic process. Indians maintained more animalistic features and they “sought to trade furs for knives, hooks and other metal goods” (pg.83). Predictably they traded with caution because both communities were not capable of what could happen. “As a result, European diseases struck Indian villages with horrible ferocity” (pg.85-86).

Cronon convinced that the...