The Making of the American Landscape

This well-illustrated volume presents for the first time a fascinating and comprehensive view of the cultural evolution of the American landscape. Written by a team of leading scholars, the essays examine key historical forces in the settlement and human shaping of the land over the past 10,000 years, with an emphasis on the past three centuries. Through carefully chosen illustration, the book shows the reader how to "read" in today's landscape the record of this transformation. The major historical forces that shaped the American cultural landscape are viewed from the varied perspective of ethnic and cultural movements, environmetnal challenge and response, and urbanization. The contributors discuss a rich selection of themes including: the diverse influence of colonial powers on early settlement; the emergence of regional types of landscape; the impact of ideology on landscape; and the contributions of technological change to landscape development.