Systems Thinking

In planning your paper, you will have to make a number of decisions, some of which you’ve already done. You’ve already chosen the subject upon which you will base your essay (if you’re not happy with this choice, you may still change your mind, but it will mean repeating many of the steps you’ve already taken): now it’s time to focus in on some aspect of your topic and how it relates to the environment. How did nonhuman environments shape or impact the expedition or explorer you focus on? How did a particular moment in exploration change the way people understand the natural world, or the way we live in it?

Select one of the readings from Mancall and explain the environmental assumptions implicit in its author’s response to the New World and his understanding of the possibilities it presents. These possibilities should include agriculture and natural resources, but may also extend to mercantile, military, and cultural issues. In addition, you should compare these early responses to the New World to a modern interpretation, either the one offered by William Cronon, or that of Judith Carney or J. R. McNeill (or a combination of the three, if you are feeling ambitious). In either case, don’t just offer abstract generalizations—be sure to refer specifically to the texts.