Humans in the Central Appalachians

Jeffrey Sharpe

3/30/2017

Humans in the Central Appalachians:

For this weeks reading, we read a document written by Steven Stephenson called the "Humans in the Central Appalachians." One thing that I was surprised about was left by the "Spanish were devastating diseases such as measles and smallpox, which decimated Native Americans and created a population vacuum that could be exploited by later European settles" (pg. 202). It just goes and show how careless Europeans were while on a conquest of taking over the world. In addition, the Europeans did not really cared for the well being of the Native Americans and let them suffer. It's just amazing how people are willing to harm other humans and simply do not care what happens to them. You even she that in todays society where people do not care for others, as well as others from foreign nation.

A Child with Smallpox in the early 1970s.

(Author: CDC/James Hicks)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Child_with_Smallpox_Bangladesh.jpg

Later in the 1700s, the European settlers were continuously moving westward in to Indian country, which meant they were on Indian land. Which in "July 1755 the settlement of Draper's Meadow was destroyed and at least five settlers killed by a raiding party of Native Americans" (pg. 203). Demonstrating that the Europeans did not care about the Native Americans and were willing to move onto their land without permission. Which would lead to violence and bloodshed. Strengthening the hatred between the Native Americans and European settlers. And it would only grow worse later in history.

Mary Draper Ingles (survivor of the Draper's Meadow Massacre)

(Author: Unknown).

Photo Location: https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Draper-900-2

Another statement that surprised me was that the "there are no really large cities in the Central Appalachians" (pg. 214). The only city that is mention was Roanoke Virginia, which is roughly 100,000 people in it (pg. 214). Which is surprising to me. Primarily that you would think that region would hold a lot more people since the regions discovery in the 1500s. By now, you would think more people would have colonize the Appalachian mountains and possibly exceeding other major cities of the United States. By having such a relatively small population in the region, you can tell how hard it is to live in the region. And it reserve for those who are able to take care of themselves.

Location of Roanoke, Virginia

(Author: Seth Ilys)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VAMap-doton-Roanoke.PNG

Citation:

Stephenson, S. L. (2013). A natural history of the central Appalachians. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press.

Founding Greater Appalachia

Sharpe

3/21/2017

Founding Greater Appalachia:

This week, we had to read chapter nine of the book titled "American Nations" by Colin Woodard. This chapter discusses the arrival of Scottish and Irish people arriving to the New World, or what would become the United States, by leaving the United Kingdom. One major reason why Scottish and Irish people left the United Kingdom because "taxes were increased all the same" (pg. 102). It is understandable why the Scottish and Irish immigrants arrived to the New World. They needed to find new ways to gain money to get them out the ever increasing debt for not paying their taxes. This is what helped caused the Americans to declare independence from the United Kingdom, becoming the United States. Similar to the Scottish and Irish, the Americans did not feel like the British Empire helped them out, but was just interested in collecting taxes. As well as not helping, or interested in the lives of their subjects.

Betsy Ross Flag

(Author: Unknown)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_flag_13_stars_%E2%80%93_Betsy_Ross.svg

Another interesting fact that I learn was that "whiskey, which would remain the de facto currency of Appalachia for the next two centuries" (pg. 104). When you think of currency, you will think of paper money, or at least some type of coin system. Even without the currency system, at least having a system of trading. Even by the 1800s and 1900s, you would expect that this region would move from a whiskey currency to the currency of the United States. Any ways, I wonder if people within the region was influenced to moved from whiskey to moonshine?

Moonshine Jar

(Author: Unknown)

Photo Location: http://moonshinerecipe.org/popcorn-sutton-moonshine/

Another interesting fact that I learned was that the Scottish and Irish immigrants within the American colonies attempted to creating their own country "Transylvania, which was created in direct violation of the Royal Proclamation of 1763" (pg. 110). Which was surprising for me, because it's one of those stories that was forgotten over time. Where a new colony within the New World that was overall disappeared or simply failed. Anyways, I was also surprised that they tried to break a law, the Proclamation of 1763, which forbid them from moving west over the Appalachian Mountains. Which their new country would be settled in.

Location of the Proclamation Line (Proclamation of 1763)

(Author: Unknown)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_territorial_growth_1775.svg

Citation:

Woodard, C. (2011). American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Earth Stewardship

Sharpe

3/14/17

Earth Stewardship:

This week, we read a journal article called "Earth Stewardship" by F. Stuart Chapin, which was published in 2011. One of the arguments that the author mentions is that "people and nature have always been intertwined" (pg. 3). This statement, even though fairly simple, is actually very true. Most people, even today do not realized how contacted the two are. If nature is negatively affected by some kind of event, it would sooner or later negatively  effect the human race. One well known situation was the Maya Empire in Ancient History. A group of people that inhabited southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. Long time ago, the Mayan Empire started to use Agriculture within the region. Which would mean the destruction of the rainforest, and the rainforest like climate within the region. As the population of the Mayan Empire increased, the demand for the agriculture like food also increased, which would increased in the destruction of the rainforest. As time goes on, it altered the amount of rainfall in the region. Ultimately devastating the agriculture of the region, causing the Mayan Empire to collapse.

Location of the Mayan Empire

(Author: Lynn Foster)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayamap.png

Another statement that caught my eye was that "global problems require solutions at multiple scales" (pg. 5). I do not believe that this statement is entirely true. One reason is that if there is an environmental issue that is happening in one nation, it would be very difficult, or virtually impossible to tell them to fix the issue. One great example is nations like North Korea. Countries like North Korea are very radical, and are idealized by a radical leader. There is no way that environmental groups to influence countries like North Korea. Simply, these radical countries are just gonna do as they please.

Location of North Korea

(Author: Unknown)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Korea_(orthographic_projection).svg

North Korean Flag

(Author: Unknown)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_North_Korea.svg

The last thing that also caught my eye was "community-based research is change-oriented research that engages local people in all stages of the research process" (pg.11). Just like the statement before, some people will not be willing to help out, especially if it is altering ones culture. And countries and people that were once colonized or controlled by European or Western countries, they tend to go against those nations. So if the people of these former colonized nations is again felt threaten by foreign nations, they tend to go against it. Making it difficult to get people to be environmentalist, or implement environment policies.

Countries and their colonies in 1898.

(Author: Unknown)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_1898_empires_colonies_territory.png

Reading Citation:

Chapin III, F. S., Power, M. E., Pickett, S. T. A., Freitag, A., Reynolds, J. A., Jackson, R. B., Lodge, D. M., Duke, C., Collins, S. L., Power, A. G., & Bartuska, A. (2011). Earth Stewardship: science for action to sustain the human-earth system. Ecosphere 2(8). 1-20.