Changes in the Land: Preface Summary & Analysis

Changes in the Land is “an ecological history of colonial New England.” In addition to considering the history of human society, the book’s author William Cronon focuses on the natural landscape and nonhuman inhabitants of New England during this time period. His main argument is that the colonization of the New England area significantly changed the natural landscape, an issue that is rarely discussed in historical accounts. Focusing on natural history in this manner in turn illuminates much about human history. The book examines how the ecosystems of precolonial New England differed from those of the European colonizers. It also contrasts the very different beliefs about property ownership held by the respective groups.

Neither the colonizers nor the Native people of New England maintained a fixed, static way of being during the period covered by the book (1620-1800)—significant changes took place within that period, too. Changes in the Land is an interdisciplinary project and bringing together several very different disciplines can be a risky endeavor. Cronon thanks the professors who helped him with the project, which began as a seminar paper he wrote during graduate school. He also credits the resources at Yale University, including many different libraries, which he used to conduct his research. He thanks colleagues, friends, and his wife for their support in completing the project.