Creatures Of Empire Chapter Summary

When the English arrived in Massachusetts in the 1700’s colonists were excited to see acres upon acres of open land. They saw great opportunity in this land, as they would be the first to farm and cultivate it. They also came upon Native Americans. These Indians, having different relationships with animals than the English, did not believe in owning livestock. When the colonists came, they tired to implement their values of owning livestock and transform New England into a civilized colony. The Book “Creatures of Empire” by Virginia Dejohn Anderson sheds light into how livestock became a crucial part of life in the new world. The goal of setting a colony up in New England was to create an overseas empire. The idea was to spread Old England’s

In their eyes, civilized life was exactly how life was in England. Therefore they tried their best to make life in the new world just like Old England. They set up farmhouses, laid down fences and most importantly had livestock. They turned New England into a civilized colony by implementing livestock into everyday life. Res Nullius is a western theory which states that “empty things including land, remained common property until they were put to use” (Anderson 78). So by investing labor into land a person could claim it. The colonists looked at this a boundless space as if it were open to anyone who would put it to use. And that is what they did. They keep their farms looking nice by trimming hedges and maintaining their fences and ditches. (Anderson) Most importantly they practiced animal husbandry. Animal husbandry is caring for animals. The settlers carried on husbandry traditions from old England and believed that “done properly, it reinforced a set of behaviors that seventeenth-century English people regarded as a normative an emblematic of civilized existence.” (Anderson 89) Husbandry was the difference between simply owning a piece of land or running a working farm. On the other hand were the Indians, who, to the colonist, were uncivilized and inferior. They had their own set of beliefs, and the two cultures inevitably clashed. Indians looked at animals in a much different way then did the colonists. The Indians believed they were one with the animals and equals. Therefore they did no believe in owning and controlling livestock. In multiple instances, because the colonists let their livestock roam freely, the Indians hunted and killed colonist’s livestock unknowingly. (Anderson) These cultural differences between Indians and English set them apart and ultimately led to the English taking over the land. The animals resembled civilized use of the land and both the