Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D.
Office: GHH 215
Hours: M, W, F 1:00-2:00
T, 9:00 - 10:00 or by appointment
Phone: 254 3230
Read, in Joseph Wood, The New England Village,
Chapter 1, The Colonial Encounter With the Land, pp. 9 - 51.
Notes on Reading.
This chapter is longer than most of Wood's chapters, so give yourself ample time to absorb it. There are a number of concepts to acquaint yourselves with, including "Cultural Ecology" (p. 10), the land types mentioned (intervale, marsh zones, meadow zones, etc.), the "Town System", (p. 38 and following), and the distinction between "nucleated" and "dispersed" systems of settlement. Understand, too, the concept of "settlement by replication", and the reason(s) why it became the principal process of development of New England throughout the colonial and early national eras.
There are a lot of illustrations in this chapter, which of course means there is less text. Don't let this put you too much at ease: they need careful study,..especially the types with which you are less familiar. You will find it helpful to use the photographs in conjunction with the topographic maps, as these will help you translate the map symbols. Make sure you understand what an "Isochronic Map" is (p. 35). understanding the prefix "iso" will help, and this will also make the topographic maps easier to understand.