The Destruction of the Bison: An Environmental History, 1750-1920 (Studies in Environment and History) [Paperback]

Andrew C. Isenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0521003482 | ISBN-13: 978-0521003483

The Destruction of the Bison explains the decline of the North American bison population from an estimated 30 million in 1800 to fewer than 1000 a century later. In this wide-ranging, interdisciplinary study, Andrew C. Isenberg argues that the cultural and ecological encounter between Native Americans and Euroamericans in the Great Plains was the central cause of the near extinction of the bison. Drought and the incursion of domestic livestock and exotic species such as horses into the Great Plains all threatened the Western ecosystem, which was further destabilized as interactions between Native Americans and Euroamericans created new types of hunters in both cultures: mounted Indian nomads and white commercial hide hunters. In the early twentieth century, nostalgia about the very cultural strife that first threatened the bison became, ironically, an important impetus to its preservation.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Isenberg (history, Princeton) employs interdisciplinary methodology to explain the ecosocial factors that led to the destruction of 30 million bison during a 50-year period. Tracing the movement of Native American tribes from sedentary cultures to hunting societies that depended upon the horse to hunt bison on the Great Plains, the author discusses the impact of Euroamerican economics on the Native peoples. Fur trading of the 18th century altered Plains culture, as did the 19th-century demand for bison hides. These encounters between Native Americans and Euroamericans were the central cause of the near extinction of the bison. Isenberg also considers other factors such as drought, disease, and the introduction of domestic livestock. This case study of extinction and the preservation of a species will have a wide appeal and correlate with such books as Shepard Krech's The Ecological Indian: Myth and History (LJ 8/99). Recommended for all libraries.
-Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley Coll., Mt. Carmel, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Thoroughly researched and well-written, The Destruction of the Bison is an example of modern interdisciplinary scholarship that is not only convincing, analytical, and informative, but also a joy to read. This book will prove valuable to the academic specialist, the student, and the general public." American Studies International

"The Destruction of the Bison is an engaging, well-written, and lucid account of a story that has been told many times, but is only now beginning to be truly understood." Peter S. Alagona, The Professional Geographer

"Isenberg's well-researched and very readable environmental history provides a more compelling explanation that acknowledges the interaction between a dynamic natural environment and the human societies that inhabited it." Economic History

"...elegant....Isenberg has found an impressive array of sources for his history....a detailed, convincing instance of how civilizations expand, it is profoundly instructive." William H. McNeill, The New York Review of Books

"A well-researched, well-documented book, The Destruction of Bison is, best of all, a compelling read. It has a narrative that sweeps the reader through the two hundred pages quickly. The book is, simply, an engrossing history...the book remains one that students, academics, and many adults would learn from and enjoy. The Destruction of Bison would be a good choice for academic libraries as well as for many public library collections. Highly recommended." E-Streams

"This case study of extinction and the preservation of a species will have a wide appeal and correlate with such books as Shepard Krech's The Ecological Indian: Myth and History. Recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

"To be filed in this month's don't-judge-a-book-by-its title category....[Isenberg's] impassioned first book is much more than an ecological history of American wildlife." Publisher's Weekly

"The book works well as a teaching tool: it reveals complex causation while maintaining clarity and readability. As enviornmental history, the book is extremely satisfying...Isenberg appreciates the dynamism of culture, economy, and environment on the Plains. His treatment of Indian experiences, though overgeneralized, is still subtle and complex." Emily Greenwald, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"The Destruction of the Bison is certain to stimulate discussion of its author's conclusions and likely to remain a standard work of enviromental history for years to come." William A. Dobak The National Archives Washington, DC

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521003482
• ISBN-13: 978-0521003483
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breadth and Insight, June 9, 2000

By 

Dennis Dressler (Kalamazoo, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Destruction of the Bison: An Environmental History, 1750-1920 (Studies in Environment and History) (Hardcover)

Andrew Isenberg presents an array of complex and systemic causes that brought about the near extinction of the North American bison. The author's breadth of knowledge related to the bison demise is incredible. The reader is not bored with endless details behind these knowledge blocks, however. Rather, in fairly short order, the reader understands how climatology, geography, economics, sociology, migration and immigration, policy, and anthropology all played a role in the bison's destruction. And while the author presents an incredibily well researched description of the bison's destruction, along the way, the reader learns volumes about how Native Americans lived, changed their lifestyles, and were linked to the bison. The reference listings are impressive for those needing further information and authentication. Anyone interested in how the American plains were settled and shaped, this is an enjoyable read. For the researcher, this book is a gold mine.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Complete Overview of the Bison's Near Demise., May 4, 2000

By 

Ian K O'Malley - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Destruction of the Bison: An Environmental History, 1750-1920 (Studies in Environment and History) (Hardcover)

Andrew Isenberg provides a complete overview of the near demise of the American Bison in late 19th century. The author's principle theme is an explanation of the causes for the near extinction of the largest North American mammal in the largest North American biome. Isenberg provides an extensive description of how the reintroduction of horses to North America uprooted many Native American peoples of the plains and exaggerated their dependence on the bison. This increased dependence on bison was further fueled by the fur/hide trade of the early 19th century. The near death note to the American bison was provided by the east's increased need of leather component's for it's expanding industry and desire by the Euro-American populace to displace bison dependent Native Americans. If you are interested in complex cause/effect senarios in American history this book is a must. The book has been extensively researched and provides an awesome reference list.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new view on the bison's demise, October 16, 2003

By 

Michael Taylor "Scipio" (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Destruction of the Bison: An Environmental History, 1750-1920 (Studies in Environment and History) (Paperback)

Andrew Isenberg, professor of History at Princeton University, has produced a brilliant monograph documenting the relationship between the Plains Indians, whites and the bison that once thrived on the Great Plains.
Isenberg carefully presents the ecology of the Great Plaines, demonstrating how tenuous the environment is to begin with: drought and fires can easily destroy the short grass that the bison depend on, causing sudden fluctuations in the herds. Given the already sensitive nature of the bison population, Isenberg then discusses the effect of human hunting.
Many readers, accostomed to thinking of the Plains Indians as ancient cultures, practicing a lifestyle as old as time, will be surprised to learn that the tribes of the great plains were largly recent developments. The introduction of the horse in the late 17th century dramatically altered the lifesyles of the plains tribes. Now that horses could be used to follow the bison herds year round, many groups abandoned agriculture and became full time bison hunters.
Isenberg documents the rise of trade networks, and the material wealth that Indians were able to accumulate in the beaver and bison pelt trade. Isenberg argues that Indians increasingly exploited the bison in a non-substainable fashion, thus dramatically weakening the bison population by the mid 19th century. Thus white hunting, which escalated in the 1870s to fill the demand for bison leather machine belts, was merely a coup de grace for the already decimated herds.
Isenberg's thesis rather explodes the old myth that Indians were always ecologically sensitive people who cared meticulously for their rescources. Yet in the end, his message is one of environmental responsibility, as he narrates a tragic case study of unsubstainable environmental exploitation. The book is well crafted and highly readable, and recommended for all interested in the American West.