V. D. Anderson's "In Creatures of Empire" Book Review by scribbler
Reports on Virginia DeJohn Anderson's book, "In Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America", about the conflicting values set on animals by Native Americans and the European settlers.
# 151683
| 1,265 words
| 1 source
| MLA
| 2012
| 
Published
on Aug 29, 2012
in
Literature
(American)
, History
(U.S. Colonization of North America)
, Native-American Studies
(General)
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Description:
This paper explains that Virginia DeJohn Anderson's book, "In Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America", relates that the clash of values, environment and economic interests in their perspective on animals between Native Americans and the European settlers finally led to the dissolution of the Native American lands. Next, the author reviews Anderson's information about the Native Americans culture in which, although hunted, animals had sacred value just like humans; whereas, the European arrivals defined animals as a trade commodity rather than a spiritual value. The paper concludes by iterating Anderson's belief that the free-range husbandry of these Europeans resulted in the overrunning of the Native American lands.
From the Paper:
"Of interest, it was not as if the Native Americans and English settlers were totally different in their perspectives toward animals. Certain similarities may have even helped to reduce the friction between them in the long term if more serious problems did not eventually arise. For example, traditional English folklore contained specific beliefs about the powers held by some animals. For example, in pre-Christian days, many animals in England were viewed as particularly helpful, such as ladybirds and black cats, or calamitous, such as the Lancashire magpies. The latter were considered such bad luck, in fact, that people would greet the birds by raising their hats or cross themselves or spit when seeing them. However, such early superstitions were increasingly being denounced through the growing importance of the conservatism of the Protestant Reformation. As Anderson states in her book, "In one of history's many ironies, religious developments in England encouraged greater disdain for non-Christian ways of viewing the world just at the point when English people encountered the inhabitants of the New World" Most likely, differences in how they perceived animals most likely would have kept the Native Americans and English settlers at odds. However, they may not have been problematic enough to build up such an animosity to result in a "them" or "us" resolution."Sample of Sources Used:
- Anderson, Virginia DeJohn ..In Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America, New York: Oxford Press, 2005
Cite this Book Review:
APA Format
V. D. Anderson's "In Creatures of Empire" (2012, August 29)
Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/book-review/v-d-anderson-in-creatures-of-empire-151683/
MLA Format
"V. D. Anderson's "In Creatures of Empire"" 29 August 2012.
Web. 31 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/book-review/v-d-anderson-in-creatures-of-empire-151683/>