An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

October 10, 2011

The Columbian Exchange

Since today is Columbus Day, I wanted to recommend two books by Charles Mann, 1491 and 1493.  In the first book Mann gives us a more up-to-date view of what the Americas looked like prior to Columbus and dispels some commonly held misconceptions about Native American origins, societies, history, and especially of interest to me, how they managed the environment.  The history I was taught in school gave us the impression that when the English arrived in North America they found a sparsely populated, pristine landscape. The new picture shows a more heavily populated environment, extensively managed through constant burning to promote agriculture and to favor some plant and animal species over others.  On both North and South America, wherever there were people, there was extensive manipulation of the landscape.  All of this changed when Columbus brought the Old World to the New.  It is estimated that between 60-90% of Native Americans died from introduced European diseases within the first century of contact.  So with the collapse of Native American populations and society, the landscape changed, and by the time my people got here, it was indeed less populated and more pristine.


I am only part the way through 1493, but so far, it is as engrossing as the first book.  In it Mann tells of the changes that occurred after and as a result of Columbus' voyage.  It was the beginning of a global exchange, some for the good - some for the bad, that continues to this day.  Can you imagine Italian cuisine without the tomato, Florida without its oranges, the Apache without their horses or Marlena Dietrich without her cigarettes?  Many of the food crops and domesticated animals that crossed the oceans now sustain large populations far from the species' origins.  Did you know there were no earthworms in North America prior to the Columbian Exchange, and that leaf litter lay in an ultra thick blanket on the forest floor, unless it was burned by the Native Americans or slowly consumed by fungus?  Imagine how that changed the look of and make up of our forests.  Of course the Exchange was not limited to plants and animals.  People were exchanged, willingly or otherwise; ideas and technology crossed back and forth; and diseases did as well.  I am anxious to see what other points Mann brings up as I continue reading.



These books have me thinking of my own garden, particularly about where the plants I grow come from.  It is nearly startling how many evolved in Asia, some of them so ubiquitous I can't imagine a local garden without them, like the Azalea, Camellia, Daylily, Hydrangea, Loropetalum, Gardenia, Nandina or Crape Myrtle.  North and South America are also well represented in my garden with the likes of Coneflower, Rudbeckia, Phlox, Smokebush, Dahlia, Morning Glory, Angelonia, Cuphea, Coleus, Sweet Potato Vine, Lantana and Zinnias.  Surprisingly, it was difficult to think of plants in my garden with European origins, and I could only come up with Boxwood, Hellebores, Narcissus, Bearded Iris, and let's not forget English Ivy, but I would like to give that back. 

Looking at my garden you see that exchanges can be good, or not, and aren't always balanced.  You can also get another opinion on the topic by asking a Native American how he or she feels about Columbus Day.

15 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reviews of these two books. I've been curious about them.

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  2. You perked my interest. I am usually not excited by history, but these two books sound interesting.

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  3. I never really thought about the landscape prior to Columbus but you have enlightened me indeed. I too find it amazing how many of our plants come from Asia. You named many old ones but there are a lot of new ones that slowly replacing some of the tried and true. I just found out crape myrtles come from Asia and really and truly did not know this. Do you ever wonder what Columbus would think of the states today?

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  4. 1491 has been on my bookshelf for quite a while. You've got my interest up. Have to read it. As Rick Darke says, all landscapes are cultural landscapes. (I think I heard him say that.)

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  5. Les, Wonderful reviews; these two are going on my list. I have conversations about what constitutes native plants with my son and we've touched on the pre-Columbus plants. Can't wait to read more about those times. gail

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  6. I wouldn't normally pick these books but they are now on the list so to speak. I hope you get a bit of kayaking in between reads.

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  7. I am going to request the first book from my library--sounds fascinating. Europe has also contributed Norway maples and purple loosestrife.

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  8. Hi Les, These sound like really interesting books. Did you know that in Canada on the island of Newfoundland there was a unique native population with blue eyes? (Proving Columbus wasn't the first European to land in North America.) They were called the 'Beothuk'.
    Sadly, these natives quickly perished when fresh boats of Europeans brought new diseases. Finally, there was just one woman left. When she died in 1829 her skull was sent to England for study. Sadly, we did not afford native peoples dignity even in death.
    I will have to look for Mann's books.

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  9. Perfect timing! I just finished "Starving the South" and need a new book.

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  10. Fascinating. The earthworms....wow, what a new piece of information. I imagine the books are a great read....will look for them.

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  11. These are books I would enjoy. It is amazing to me how many plants I own end in 'japonica' or 'sinensis.'

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  12. no earthworms?? you have to be kidding! hard to even imagine that. as far as garden and landscape plants go, we're better off assuming they're exotics since most of them are. almost no one used native plants on purpose until mid-eighties or so, did they? have you read a new voyage to carolina by john lawson? he wrote about the plants and animals (and lots of other things) in nc in the early 1700s. you might enjoy that one, too. (entire text is here: http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/lawson/lawson.html)

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  13. Les, good highlights. Sounds like good reads. I need to find a beach, chair, ocean or gulf, maybe a cocktail and read to relax. Before it gets cold!

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  14. No earthworms? Good heavens... They sound like fascinating books. It makes sense that the Native Americans managed the landscape so extensively before we killed them off with disease. I am fascinated by the way that the landscapes we regard as natural are actually the product of man's interference. I love the north west coast of Scotland, and remember standing on top of one of the larger mountains in Torridon gazing out across the rolling heather-rich landscape, trying to imagine what it used to look like before it was cleared for sheep, covered in pine forest.

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  15. Those look like fascinating books. I've always thought of tobacco as just revenge. Have you read the book Plagues and People? It explains the history of the world and conquest by disease.

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