An Environmental History of the American West: Land, Water, Forest and Wilderness (GE32010)

This Level 3 module is focused on how the lands, waters and forests of the American West were identified, documented and exploited from c. 1850 onwards. In seeking to understand this narrative, it addresses key questions about nature, society and landscape:

How was the American West explored and settled from the mid 19th century?
Following settlement, how were the lands, waters and forests of the American West identified, documented and exploited?
Why has a landscape of such apparent abundance become one of scarcity?
Why has the concept of wilderness become increasingly problematic?

(Level 4 version of this module with a compulsory field trip to California also available.)

Full Module Specification