This Land is Your Land: U. S. Environmental History

Fulfills the US History requirement for Majors How have different environments, places, and resources shaped American history? We will survey main themes and events in the environmental history of the United States. We move from colonial-era differences in land use through contemporary environmental debates. We ask how American communities have used, defined, and fought over places and natural resources, from bison herds to nuclear stockpiles. We investigate intriguing aspects of our local Massachusetts environment: the Emerald Necklace of parks, the brass hoof prints of Harvard Square, even our nearby reservoir. No background in history is necessary to thrive in this class. Students in the sciences are welcome.