3' North America

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3. North America
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Figure 3.1, North America
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North America

• A cultural, not a natural region (the tectonic
  plate includes Mexico).
• Common history and development under the global
  capitalism fostered most by the second stage
  European expansions of the 1600s (Holland,
  France, Britain rather than the first stage
  expansions by Portugal and Spain)
• Politically disorganized indigenous inhabitants,
  fairly easily controlled by much more politically
  sophisticated arrivals
• Indigenous inhabitants terribly susceptible to
  European and African diseases (esp. flu,
  smallpox, syphilis) Death rates 95 plus in
  first 100 years of contact
• Use of African slaves from beginning to replace
  lost indigenes, but much more restricted than in
  Latin America because region not suited to sugar

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Fig 3.4 Environmental Issues in North America

• Unique physical geography, easily settled from
  Atlantic w/generous coastal plains to east and
  south. Interior easily accessible from south via
  Mississippi basin, relatively accessible from
  east via St Lawrence
• Settlement from west difficult--only 4 accessible
  areas (Fraser Columbia Rivers, San Francisco
  Bay, LA Basin) only 1 with reasonable topographic
  access to east (LA Basin) and that over a great
  desert region that would have been hard to cross

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Sea Level rise over 20K years (NASA)
Global sea level rise of c. 120 M following last
glaciation. Note that we entered a cooler phase
c. 6,000 BP. Current warming trend regarded as
serious because seems to be reverting to rate of
change c. 10,000 BP
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Potential impact of sea level rise on Florida
Map of Florida with 2, 4 8 M rise in sea level.
Current observed rates indicate c. 1.8 M rise in
100 years. But current climate models (often
referred to as the hockey stick models) show
sudden accelerating change, and many atmospheric
scientists believe 4 M quite likely in 100 years
(dont buy land in Miami!)
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Hockey Stick model
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Fig 3.8 Climate

• Because of its topography, the continental
  interior of NA is relatively cool in summer
  warm in winter. Planetary heat transfer ensures
  warm, moist air masses from the Gulf of Mexico
  penetrate as far north as the Canadian Prairie
  Provinces, allowing these areas to reliably grow
  grain crops. Cool air masses bring some relief to
  the humid American sub-tropics in summer.

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Three Costs of Human Modification

• Ecological Imperialism
• The replacement of native plants and animals with
  non-native ones deliberately or accidentally
  introduced. Soil erosion is one consequence of
  removing native grasses to allow grain farming.
  The extinction of once hugely abundant species
  such as the passenger pigeon and the near
  extinction of the buffalo are others. Accidental
  (unpleasant) introductions include fire ants,
  kudzu, killer bees
• Population Growth Water
• Water availability and water quality are growing
  policy issues, especially in drier West. Too much
  irrigation water comes from aquifers that do not
  recharge, and too much urban water from aquifers
  with recharge rates slower than consumption.
  Urban water can be (expensively) recycled,
  irrigation water cant
• Industrial Success Air Pollution
• Air pollution reached catastrophic levels in the
  1960s, especially in Southern California,
  prompting pioneering legislation, but current
  affluence (we approach one vehicle per registered
  driver) and shifts in consumption patterns (high
  CO2 output vehicles) threaten earlier success
  (Houston now worse than LA)

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Population and Settlement history to 1780s

• By time of first effective settlement in 1630s
  Euro-African diseases imported into Latin America
  from early 1500s on had swept through North
  America, devastating indigenous populations.
  Dutch, French, and British settlers, many
  attracted as indentured servants by promise of
  headright land grants at end of 5 years
  indenture, arrived in a near empty continent
• In 1720s accessible land for headright grants
  near coast began to dry up. Southern states
  turned to slavery to solve cheap labor problem.
  To north land available away from coast continued
  to attract settlers more interested in
  subsistence than commercial farming (Scots-Irish
  and Germans, mainly Protestants)
• A series of European and then global wars removed
  first the Dutch from NA, then the French, leaving
  the British in control by 1763. What was really a
  Civil War within the first British Empire then
  removed British control by 1783, leaving an
  independent United States

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Population and Settlement history 1820s-1920s

• British declare slave trade illegal 1807. US ends
  slave importation 1808, before successful cotton
  economy had developed in South
• Renewed immigration in 1840s, largely as push
  migration Catholic Irish (first real Catholic
  presence outside Quebec) Germans
• Accelerated immigration after Civil War as
  America industrializes. Americans continue to
  prefer to farm rather than enter industrial labor
  force. Massive immigration starts in 1880s from
  first north, then south, then east Europe--peaks
  1900-1910
• Argument over assimilation of immigrants seen as
  increasingly different from Anglo-German settlers
  to 1780 persuades US to halt immigration in
  1920s. Helped by radical improvement in labor
  productivity from scientific management

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Fig. 3.19 US Immigration by Year Group

• Phases 2 3 describe the migration wave of 1820
  to 1920
• Phases 4 5 describe the migration wave of 1945
  to date

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Population, Settlement, Labor Force 1945 to date

• Proletarianization of Southern agrarian labor
  force after development of cotton picker. Most
  move as blue-collar labor to nearby southern
  cities, which boom. Some move to northern and
  western cities
• Full incorporation of women into labor force
  starting in late 1960s. Women relatively
  well-educated, cheap labor, able to move into
  newer jobs of nascent information economy
• Acceleration of demand for education for all
  races and both sexes beyond grade 12
  accompanies/drives information economy.
  Increasing expectation of Americans is that they
  and certainly their children will escape menial
  labor
• Consequent need for cheap labor causes massive
  resumption of immigration, legal and illegal,
  this time from Latin America and Asia
• Secondary, hidden need for immigration in
  demographic problems of old-stock Americans
  nature of Social Security system

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Fig. 3.22 Immigration to Vancouver BC as an
example of modern immigration to North America
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Fig. 3.6.2 Origins of H-1B temporary skilled
workers, 2005
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Fig. 3.29 Immigration protests
Would be laudable if correct, but gets severe
failing grade on real history. Revolt of all
northern Mexican states against Santa Anna
1835--put down bloodily everywhere but Texas.
Mexico refused to accept Treaty of Velasco,
precipitating War of 1846-48. US had previously
offered generous payt. for area. Despite victory
US still paid!
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Fig 3.10 Current Population Map of North America

• Heavy concentration of population in eastern
  megalopolis (Boston-Washington) in
  manufacturing core (Chicago-Pittsburgh)
• Two, perhaps three, nascent megalopolitan regions
  developing. San Francisco-San Diego
  Dallas-Houston-San Antonio Portland-Vancouver
• Some Southern cities (such as Atlanta) successful
  outliers driven by central place hierarchy

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Table 3.1 Demographic Indicators
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Table 3.3 (3rd edn.) note gender difference in
life expectancy
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Fig 3.23 Selected Cultural Regions of North
America

• 8 cultural regions of 3 types stand out in North
  America
• (1) Language regions
• Quebec the Hispanic Borderlands
• (2) Racial/Ethnic regions
• Nunavut, Quebec, the Black Belt, Acadiana, Navajo
  Reservation, Hispanic Borderlands
• (3) Political regions
• Canada (Parliamentary government, evolutionary
  history, the US (Presidential system,
  revolutionary history)

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Fig 3.26 North Americasglobal culture

• Massive export of American culture began in 1920s
  with Hollywood images and items of new consumer
  culture (processed foods, radios, automobiles).
  Continues with fast foods, radio/tv/pop music,
  pcs, jet planes
• America as worlds greatest importer (e.g. beer
  imports). Most cheap consumer goods now imported

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Fig. 3.27 Geopolitical Issues in North America
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America as a Geopolitical Construct

• A republic? Of what sort?
• Certainly, though modeled in part after Rome with
  the Senate at the center of power in part after
  the Dutch Republic, with substantial sovereignty
  at the state level.
• A democracy? How defined?
• Better said as a country with democratic
  tendencies evolving over time to a more complete
  franchise.
• An empire? Surely not?
• Bifurcation of the British Empire 1776-83, with
  the English half returning to its maritime roots.
  
• The British in the US developing as a continental
  empire (1803-93), then a classic overseas empire
  (1830s-1945), finally as a commercial and
  cultural empire (1890s-).

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Meinigs alternative Americas
A Greater United States
A Lesser United States
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American Continentalism (aka Manifest Destiny)
26
The View from Washington, or how much of Mexico
do we take? We gained more territory from Mexico
than we gained from France in the Louisiana
Purchase, most under the Treaty of
Guadelupe-Hidalgo that ended the Mexican War,
less under the Gadsden Purchase
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The Post Revolutionary Geopolitical Framework
development of an American imperium

• 1803-Louisiana Purchase--forced assimilation of
  Acadians
• 1830s-The Mexican Wars New Englands missions to
  Pacific
• 1840s-conquest of Deseret annexation of Utah, CA
  TX resistance to Britain in Oregon Gadsden
  Purchase
• 1860s-conquest of Confederacy Protection 1861
  Alabama Claims 1866 effective cession of Canada
  by Britain 1867 Alaska purchase 1867
• Completion of continental structure of 48 United
  States by 1893 (closure of frontier)
• 1890s-openly imperial expansion in Caribbean
  Pacific-first global clashes w/Germany (Manila
  Bay/Samoa)

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America as a rising naval power. 1866--facing
down Britain over the Alabama Claims
USS Miantonomoh, Spain 1866
CSS Alabama victim--15-20 million in damages
to US merchant ships
HMS Warrior, 1866 flagship
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America as a rising naval power. 1898--facing
down Germany at Manila Bay
Four fleets were Present (US, UK, Germany,
Spain). UK tacitly supported US Germans held
back. But--In ten years, when I am ready
cabled Kaiser Wilhelm to his naval commander
at Manila Bay
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The (second) Samoa Crisis, 1898-9. The view from
the Imperial German Navy

• Rubbish, the next fleet parade will fully
  satisfy our ambitions!

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The Post Revolutionary Geopolitical Framework
development of an American imperium

• 1893/98-annexation of Hawaii (British
  appeasement)
• 1898-Spanish American War acquisition of
  Philippines, Puerto Rico as Protectorates Cuba
• 1901-Hay-Pauncefote (Panama Canal)
• 1917-purchase of US Virgin Islands from Denmark
• 1920s return to isolationism after WWI. Impact
  of Depression. Free Trade Democrats replace
  Protectionist Republicans. Japan emerges as
  geopolitical threat
• 1940-Destroyers for bases. Full control of
  Caribbean
• 1944-Bretton Woods. Open acceptance of global
  power

• 1803-Louisiana Purchase--forced assimilation of
  Acadians
• 1830s-The Mexican Wars New Englands missions to
  Pacific
• 1840s-conquest of Deseret annexation of Utah, CA
  TX resistance to Britain in Oregon Gadsden
  Purchase
• 1860s-conquest of Confederacy Protection 1861
  Alabama Claims 1866 effective cession of Canada
  by Britain 1867 Alaska purchase 1867
• Completion of continental structure of 48 United
  States by 1893 (closure of frontier)
• 1890s-openly imperial expansion in Caribbean
  Pacific-first global clashes w/Germany (Manila
  Bay/Samoa)

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America as a commercial and cultural imperium

• 1893 Columbia Exposition, Turners paper
  recognizes closure of frontier arguments for a
  commercial empire (cheap mass products, dazzling
  technology, alluring mass culture) beginnings of
  a conventional political empire.
• Resistance to conventional imperial power
  (Democrats under Wilson wanted to restore
  Philippine independence, tho this not achieved
  until FDR in 1934, with 10 years to
  independence in 1945).
• Hemisphere defense coupled with American
  commercial expansion (movies, automobiles,
  household electrical goods, airplanes etc.).
  Beginnings of American overseas
  investment--Woolworths, Ford, GM.
• Failure of hemisphere defense following Pearl
  Harbor, fear of German air attacks. Need for
  aggressive forward posture, hence restructuring
  of air force, permanent American military
  presences in Europe and Asia, complex system of
  alliances post WWII.
• Strong imposition of American economic and
  cultural power. Considerable increase in foreign
  direct investment. Global embrace of American
  culture. Resistance predominately from Islamic
  world.

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Fig. 3.31 Economic Activities of North America
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Table 3.2 Economic Indicators
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US Exports 2002
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Table 3.3 Social Indicators and the Status of
Women