Ecological ImperialismPeople of European descent form the bulk of the population in most of the temperate zones of the world - North America, Australia and New Zealand. The military successes of European imperialism are easy to explain; in many cases they were a matter of firearms against spears. But as Alfred W. Crosby maintains in this highly original and fascinating book, the Europeans' displacement and replacement of the native peoples in the temperate zones was more a matter of biology than of military conquest. European organisms had certain decisive advantages over their New World and Australian counterparts. The spread of European disease, flora and fauna went hand in hand with the growth of populations. Consequently, these imperialists became proprietors of the most important agricultural lands in the world. In the second edition, Crosby revisits his now classic work and again evaluates the global historical importance of European ecological expansion. |
Other editions - View all
Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900–1900 Alfred W. Crosby Limited preview - 2004 |
Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900–1900 Alfred W. Crosby Limited preview - 2015 |
Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 Alfred W. Crosby Limited preview - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
Aborigines Abreu de Galindo Africa Amerindians animals arrived Atlantic Australia Bay of Islands British Buenos Aires Canary Islands Cape cattle Christians climate coast colonies Columbian Exchange Columbus conquest continent crops Crusaders culture death rate disease early East eastern English epidemic Europe Europe’s European farmers feral flora grass grasslands Greenland Guanches herds History horses humans Iceland immigrants important Indian Indies indigenes infections invaders killed land large numbers lived livestock London Madeira Maori marinheiros Mediterranean Mexico migration million missionaries native Neo-European Neo-Europes Neolithic Revolution nineteenth century Norse North America North Island numbers ocean Old World Old World Neolithic Pacific pakeha pampa Pangaea pathogens pigs plants population Portuguese probably rats sailed sailors seams of Pangaea settlement settlers sheep ships Siberia sixteenth century Skraelings smallpox Society southern Spanish species spread Tenerife thousands trade trans tropics University Press Vinland Vinland Sagas voyage weeds West wheat wild winds York Zealand