Changes in the Land

In his book, Changes in the Land, William Cronon explores the relationship between the European and indigenous populations and local ecologies between 1620 and 1800. As he states at the outset of the book: “My thesis is simple: the shift from Indian to European dominance in New England entailed important changes -- well known to historians -- in the ways these people organized their lives, but it also involved fundamental reorganizations -- less well-known to historians -- …

…hunting, fishing, and agricultural endeavors by season and topology, the deforestation of the land limited and changed the use of wood. Fencing, which became an important agricultural and legal tool, was later done with stone, to limit the use of and deal with the limitations of the available wood. Perhaps most importantly, decreasing animal populations and soil fertility led to an expansion of occupied land by the European land, to accommodate agricultural and commercial needs.