Environmental History

About this programme

This course is an introduction to environmental history, an approach that asks a straightforward question: What is the role of nature in human history? The answers to this question can be straightforward, like hurricanes and agriculture, but also complex, and often vexing, like climate change. Over the course of twelve weeks we will explore nature as an historical actor, but also how human ideas about nature have shaped history. Because natural processes often play out over great distances and long periods of time, this class will be global in scope, and cover the period from about 1800 to the present. We will cover the primary intersections between environmental and global history during this period, including colonial expansion and biological exchange, industrialization and urbanization, and the environmental impact of modern technology. We will be using the broad scope and expansive time period to think about environmental history thematically, covering a new topic each class, while moving roughly chronologically from the 18th to the 21st century. The primary learning goals are for you to become thoroughly engaged with the concepts, core themes and questions raised by the field of environmental history; understand how they relate to some of the major world historical themes of the modern period; and begin thinking about how you could use those concepts when studying other historical periods and attempting to address contemporary environmental dilemmas, both in other classes and in your professional and personal life. Students will also develop core historical, critical