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Summary Of Nature's Metropolis By William Cronon

448 Words2 Pages

William Cronon is a professor of history, geography, and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin. He is also the critically acclaimed author of multiple books, such as his first book Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. Changes in the Land details the changing of New England’s landscape from Native American to Colonial control, the change from Native to Colonial control is also detailed in Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West, his second book. Since the writing of Nature’s Metropolis he co edited a collection of essays and has also released his own volume of essays. Dr.Cronin is the child of a historian and has devoted his life to investigating humans place in nature. He has been a Rhodes Scholar, Danforth Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, and MacArthur Fellow. …show more content…

The book starts with Chicago's humble beginnings and follows the great technological innovations that transformed the entire west into Chicago’s hinterland. Cronon starts by explaining the importance of water transport to the city which was subsequently usurped by rail transport. Transportation continues to be one of the most important factors of the book and is continuously referenced as Cronon writes about Chicago's growth. It played such an important role in the book because it allowed Chicago to send and receive commodities. Nature's Metropolis is organised around commodity flows and understanding how humans actions result in environmental change. This change is illustrated through a series of stories that depict the connection between the urban market and first nature. Journeys from city to country are often used to show the city’s place in its natural surroundings. The author tells the story of the city and its hinterland simultaneously and presents a history of their

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