Steinberg\u2019s Nature Incorporated provided an interesting and convincing argument about the significance of water in the development of nineteenth century New England. One way in which I think Steinberg was so effective in presenting his claims was through his linking the growth of industry with transforming views about nature. In his first chapter, Steinberg outlines the ways water was used for commerce and for navigation throughout the eighteenth century. He then contrasts this utilization of water with that of the burgeoning textile industry that emerged in New England and created a demand for waterpower (59). As more textile companies flocked to the Charles and Merrimack Rivers, this demand for waterpower \u2013 and thus for control of the water \u2013 spiked. As Steinberg clearly indicates, the competition fostered by industrial capitalism soon \u201cnecessitated\u201d the privatization of water (46). The agreements over who was entitled to water quickly fostered the idea that water was no longer a force of nature, but rather it \u201cturned water into an instrument\u201d (49). In this way Steinberg asserts that without the forces of industrial capitalism in New England, it is unlikely that water would have become viewed as merely a means to earn profits. Competition throughout industry accelerated ideas about controlling natural resources \u2013 in this case water \u2013 and consequently distorted nineteenth century views of nature.<\/p>\n
In response to Manish\u2019s post<\/a>, I largely agree with his commentary that man can never divorce himself from nature. However, I would argue that industrialization \u2013 at least in the eyes of Steinberg \u2013 did \u201cconquer\u201d nature. While humans remain reliant upon nature and can fall victim to its elements, I think that the force of industrialization in New England \u201cconquered\u201d water in such a way that the resource could not return to its original state. An example of this occurs when Steinberg discusses attempts to restock fish populations in the Merrimack. Although efforts to privatize fish and restock waters in New England were largely failures, the attempts demonstrated how nature was so tightly woven into \u201chuman agendas\u201d and how people strove to \u201credesign nature\u201d to fit their economic needs (203-204). These endeavors, compounded with the pollution of rivers discussed by Ian<\/a>, illustrated how humans had, in effect, conquered nature.<\/p>\n Lastly, I thought that it worked in Steinberg\u2019s favor to narrow the focus of his narrative to New England. While we have largely criticized this approach in class, especially for the last two books we have read, Steinberg does well to articulate the importance of selecting New England. He asserts that the Merrimack Valley held systems for controlling water that were unprecedented in the nineteenth century, and he states that the valley was at the \u201cheartland of waterpowered industry\u201d (95, 243). Unlike previous authors, Steinberg was also able to reiterate that his study centered only on the industry of New England. With that being said, the case of industrial and urban development in nineteenth century New England was so dynamic that we could likely find elements of this type of water and environmental politics throughout the United States. An example that came to my mind was the Chicago described by Cronon in Nature\u2019s Metropolis. Much like Chicago forged the frontier and created a new kind of ecological development in the Midwest, Steinberg argues that the industrial capitalism of New England established a new \u201cecological relations\u201d with water (11). I found that Steinberg, akin to Cronon, effectively demonstrated how industry transformed not only the environment, but also human perceptions of nature in nineteenth century America.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Steinberg\u2019s Nature Incorporated provided an interesting and convincing argument about the significance of water in the development of nineteenth century New England. One way in which I think Steinberg was so effective in presenting his claims was through his linking the growth of industry with transforming views about nature. In his first chapter, Steinberg outlines … <\/p>\n