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Summary Of Part One Of American Colonies By Alan Taylor

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In Part One of American Colonies, author Alan Taylor accentuates the natural disharmonies that transpired due to humanity, throughout the colonization of the New World. Taylor attributes humans as the most endangering species to the environment, both Native Americans and the settlers. Prior to and during the settlement of the North American colonies, all of humanity’s survival depended on the environment and how they used it. If the Natives or the settlers did not use their surrounding to the fullest advantage, themselves or others potentially could die. The first example of environmental demise that Taylor illustrated was the “…the extinction [of] two-thirds of all New World species…including the giant beaver, mammoth…” and others,” (Taylor 8). He accredited the extinction of these extraordinary animals to the “…combination of climatic change and the spread of highly skilled hunters,” (Taylor 8). The natives did not know how their excessive hunting would have such an effect - they just did what they had to do to survive. …show more content…

The tribe would “…kill wild animal faster than they could reproduce, [had an over-reliance] on maize, [and] chopped down most of the nearby forest,” (Taylor 16). The waste that the tribe produce was the breeding grounds for disease, as well. The environmental strains became so significant that Cahokia’s people started to doubt the paramount chief, which to an extent, led to the abandonment of the Cahokia. The purpose of Taylor going into such depth about the diminishment of the Cahokia was to demonstrate that even environmental issues can affect such a group of established

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