Environmental history

Quick Facts: Who was Environmental history?

Subject:

Environmental history

Known for:

The study of human interaction with the natural world across time, bridging humanities and science.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Environmental history is the study of human interaction with the natural world over time, emphasising the active role nature plays in influencing human affairs and vice versa. Environmental history first emerged in the United States out of the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and much of its impetus still stems from present-day global environmental concerns. The field was founded on conservation issues but has broadened in scope to include more general social and scientific history and may deal with cities, population or sustainable development. As all history occurs in the natural world, environmental history tends to focus on particular time-scales, geographic regions, or key themes. It is also a strongly multidisciplinary subject that draws widely on both the humanities and natural science.

Career & Major Achievements

The subject matter of environmental history can be divided into three main components. The first, nature itself and its change over time, includes the physical impact of humans on the Earth's land, water, atmosphere and biosphere. The second category, how humans use nature, includes the environmental consequences of increasing population, more effective technology and changing patterns of production and consumption. Other key themes are the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer communities to settled agriculture in the Neolithic Revolution, the effects of colonial expansion and settlements, and the environmental and human consequences of the Industrial and technological revolutions. Finally, environmental historians study how people think about nature – the way attitudes, beliefs and values influence interaction with nature, especially in the form of myths, religion and science.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1967, Roderick Nash published Wilderness and the American Mind, a work that has become a classic text of early environmental history. In an address to the Organization of American Historians in 1969 (published in 1970) Nash used the expression "environmental history", although 1972 is generally taken as the date when the term was first coined. The 1959 book by Samuel P. Hays, Conservation and the Gospel of Efficiency: The Progressive Conservation Movement, 1890–1920, while being a major contribution to American political history, is now also regarded as a founding document in the field of environmental history. Hays is professor emeritus of History at the University of Pittsburgh. Alfred W. Crosby's book The Columbian Exchange (1972) is another key early work of environmental history.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1890: 1890 Milestone — Hays, Conservation and the Gospel of Efficiency: The Progressive Conservation Movement, 1890–1920, while being a major contribution to American political history, is now also regarded as a founding document in the field of environmental history.
2. 1967: 1967 Milestone — In 1967, Roderick Nash published Wilderness and the American Mind, a work that has become a classic text of early environmental history.
3. 1969: 1969 Milestone — In an address to the Organization of American Historians in 1969 (published in 1970) Nash used the expression "environmental history", although 1972 is generally taken as the date when the term was first coined.
4. 1972: 1972 Milestone — Crosby's book The Columbian Exchange (1972) is another key early work of environmental history.

Notable Quotes by Environmental history

“Environmental history is the 'interaction between human cultures and the environment in the past'.” (1988)

“Environmental history attempts to make history more inclusive in its narratives by examining the 'role and place of nature in human life'.” (1988)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Environmental history

True or False: “The term 'environmental history' was first coined definitively in 1972.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the term gained prominence around that time, Roderick Nash used the expression in an address given in 1969.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Akshay Kumar — Historical peer (Born in 1967) (1967): Veteran Indian actor and producer, celebrated for action roles and prolific career.
• Albert Luthuli — Historical peer (Died in 1967) (1967): Pioneering anti-apartheid activist and leader of the ANC in South Africa.
• Adam Gilchrist — Historical peer (Born in 1969) (1969): Legendary Australian cricketer, redefining the wicket-keeper-batsman role with aggressive flair.
• Adam Riess — Historical peer (Born in 1969) (1969): Astrophysicist known for evidence of accelerating universe expansion via supernovae.
• A. H. M. Jones — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering British historian of classical antiquity, specializing in the later Roman Empire.
• Abraham Maslow — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering American psychologist known for the Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization theory.
• A-Mei — Historical peer (Born in 1972) (1972): Iconic Taiwanese singer, producer, and cultural voice of Mandopop.
• Abraham Joshua Heschel — Historical peer (Died in 1972) (1972): Leading 20th-century American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher.
• Abraham Flexner — Historical peer (Died in 1959) (1959): Pioneering American educator known for reforming US and Canadian medical and higher education.
• Ahlam Mosteghanemi — Historical peer (Born in 1959) (1959): Pioneering Algerian poet and novelist, celebrated for her evocative Arabic literature.

Frequently Asked Questions about Environmental history