HIS 270 - American Environmental History
The guide provides resources relevant to the history of the American environment, paying particular attention to the impact of European settlement on the landscape and the subsequent commodification of resources that defined the American experience.
Writing Guide
A series of guides on reading, researching and writing history Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students by Patrick Rael, professor of History at Bowdoin College.
Source: Patrick Rael, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students (Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004).
Videos Covering U.S. Environmental Issues
- Environmental DestructionLogging operations led to severe environmental destruction all along the Hudson River. Alarmed tourists, as well as industrialists whose downriver operations were disrupted, began to understand the realities of human impact on the environment. ( 3 mins. 40 secs.)
- The AdirondacksGovernment officials became concerned about the impact of logging on water and the environment. In 1885, the state established a forest preserve in the Adirondacks. This was soon followed by more protections. (2 mins. 35 secs.)
- DDT BanThis video segment from the series: "Issues and Controversies in American History" debates the issue: "Should the DDT ban gone into effect?" Do the economic and industrial benefits of a new technology outweigh the potential threats it poses to the environment? ( 2 mins. 53 secs. )
- Economic Growth vs. EnvironmentThis video segment, from the program "Change, Change" that focuses on issues during the 1960's decade. "Human ingenuity makes the unthinkable possible--scraping Earth of her riches with no thought to sustainable growth. Machines lay waste to Nature. Soon the great debate centers on economic growth vs. the environment." ( 4 mins. )
- A Conservation Success StoryEngravings and photographs from the early 1900s awakened many Americans to the environmental destruction that nearly destroyed the Adirondacks and the Hudson River. Strict conservation laws have been wildly successful in restoring the region's health. ( 3 mins. 27 secs. )
Historical Associations and Communities
Professional associations and academic communities are often a good place to start for scholarly information and materials on methods and research.
- American Historical AssociationThe professional and academic organization of academic historians, this organization has a wealth of information about careers in history as well as a directory of historians and historical programs.
- H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences OnlineH-Net "creates and coordinates Internet networks with the common objective of advancing teaching and research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences." Contains public discussion lists related to numerous disciplines.
- Organization of American HistoriansLess focused on academic history, the OAH nonetheless provides quite a bit of information about the profession, jobs, and current topics in history.