A Plague of Sheep: Environmental Consequences of the Conquest of Mexico (Studies in Environment and History) [Paperback]

Elinor G. K. Melville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 1997 | ISBN-10: 052157448X | ISBN-13: 978-0521574488

This is a book about the biological conquest of the New World. Taking as a case study the sixteenth century history of a region of highland central Mexico, it shows how the environmental and social changes brought about by the introduction of Old World species aided European expansion. The book spells out in detail the environmental changes associated with the introduction of Old World grazing animals into New World ecosystems, demonstrates how these changes enabled the Spanish takeover of land, and explains how environmental changes shaped the colonial societies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a very important book for all those interested in Latin American history....a very important work because it opens up a debate that should help us better understand the processes of European conquest throughout Latin America." Erick D. Langer, The Americas

"Melville's book does a great service....All in all, the book truly contributes to an historical profession that too often sees nature in terms of the longue dureé of Braudel. Melville provides a balance." Abel A. Alves, H-Net Book Review

"This is a fascinating study of the effects of policy and ecology on a small region in Mexico....All who are interested in historical environmental studies should read this book. Its implications are not limited to Mexico, nor to the early modern period." John F. Schwaller, Sixteenth Century Journal

Book Description

Taking as a case study the sixteenth century history of a region of highland central Mexico, this text reveals how the environmental and social changes brought about by the introduction of Old World grazing species aided European expansion by enabling the Spanish takeover of land.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052157448X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521574488
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #867,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Landmark On Mexico's Environmental History, January 6, 2004

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Chimonsho (Turtle Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Plague of Sheep: Environmental Consequences of the Conquest of Mexico (Studies in Environment and History) (Paperback)

This too-short book ably expands on the achievements of the Berkeley School of historical demography, while integrating Mexico with the concerns of US environmental history. The (UCal) Berkeley School---Woodrow Borah, Sherburne Cook, Lesley Simpson, and Carl Sauer---pioneered the systematic study of Indian population decline, and also explored patterns of land exploitation in New Spain. Melville extends this work with in-depth use of Mexican and Spanish archives, focusing on the Valle del Mezquital north of Mexico City. She shows how Spaniards used depopulated Indian lands for sheep raising, leading to overgrazing, degradation and vegetation change. Formerly fertile lands were colonized by mesquite scrub (thus Valle del Mezquital), making the region largely unproductive until irrigation in the 20th century. Thorough documentation makes this the most concrete study of Mexican land use history, and while the writing is not exciting, it is quite readable. An interesting chapter compares Australia with the Valle, but it distracts readers from the too-brief core of the book and ultimately seems misplaced. Since this book appeared, Melville has taken up the larger issue of capitalism's impact on Latin American environments with a chapter in T. Griffith & L. Robin eds, "Ecology and Empire." There is now a very solid study of struggles over water use in colonial Puebla, S. Lipsett-Rivera, "To Defend Our Water With the Blood of Our Veins."