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English Pages xv, 444 p. : [449] Year c1988.
AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY Second Edition
JOSEPH M. PETULLA University of San Francisco
Merrill Publishing Company A Bell &. Howell Information Company Colrnnbus Toronto London Melbourne
The cover photo is an 1868 Currier and Ives print drawn by E. F. Palmer, which represents a composite of nineteenth century America. Tts subtitle, 'Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way" comes from a poem written by En,.i;lish philosopher Bishop George Berkeley in 1752. In 1868 the most e;cciting phenomenon af the relentless 'course of empire" was the proliferating American railroad, which splits the picture into two diagonal sides af opposition--civilization and wilderness. The railroad is seen in this book as the technological culmination of the steam age, precipitating rapid eXJJansion in the process af urbanization, industrialization, commercialization and national integration. The railroad can further be viewed as the conveyor af civilization to the unforeseen horizons of the future. Log houses, simple a;ces, and covered wagons on narrow dirt roads would soon give way to bustling towns and cities -with frame houses, factories and eventually eight-lane interstate highways. The landscape with its mountains, lakes (and Indians) would also dissolve into the face af 'imperial' civilization. How this happened is the story af American environmental history. (Print courtesy af The Bancrqft Library) Those who find the context of the book discouraging should turn to the en,.qraving by William Blake (ca. 1774) at the end of the teJC(.. His moon ark, peace dove, and bow in the clouds are classic symbols of hope, more and more necessary for survival for dwellers of the ark. Published by Merrill Publishing Company A Bell & Howell Company Columbus, Ohio 43216 This book was set in Zapf Book. Administrative Editor: David Gordon Production Editor and Text Designer: Jeffrey Putnam Art CooI"dinator: Lorraine Woost Cover Designer: Cathy Watterson Copyright © 1988 by Merrill Publishing Company. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, including: photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. 'Merrill Publishing Company" and 'Merrill" are registered trademarks of Merrill Publishing Company. Previous edition copyrighted 1977 by )3oyd & l