📖 Overview
Virginia DeJohn Anderson is a Professor of History at the University of Colorado, Boulder, specializing in early American history and the environmental history of colonial North America. Her research focuses on the intersection of colonial settlement, agriculture, and human-animal relationships in early America.
Anderson's most notable works include "Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America" (2004) and "The Martyr and the Traitor: Nathan Hale, Moses Dunbar, and the American Revolution" (2017). "Creatures of Empire" examines how livestock ownership and management shaped relations between English colonists and Native Americans.
Her scholarship has earned several prestigious awards, including the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic Book Prize. Anderson received her Ph.D. from Harvard University and has contributed significantly to the understanding of colonial American social and environmental history through her examination of everyday life and agricultural practices.
Anderson's work has influenced the field of environmental history by highlighting the role of domestic animals in shaping colonial power dynamics and cultural exchange. Her research methods combine traditional historical analysis with environmental and agricultural studies to provide new perspectives on colonial American development.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate Anderson's ability to explain complex historical relationships through accessible narratives. "Creatures of Empire" receives praise for revealing how livestock impacted colonial-Native American relations, with readers noting the fresh perspective on a well-studied period.
What readers liked:
- Clear writing style that makes academic content digestible
- Thorough research and documentation
- Novel focus on animals' role in colonial history
- Integration of environmental and social history
What readers disliked:
- Some find the pace slow in certain chapters
- Academic tone can be dry for general readers
- Limited coverage of certain regions/time periods
- Occasional repetition of key points
Ratings overview:
Goodreads:
- "Creatures of Empire": 3.9/5 (165 ratings)
- "The Martyr and the Traitor": 3.8/5 (42 ratings)
Amazon:
- "Creatures of Empire": 4.3/5 (28 reviews)
- "The Martyr and the Traitor": 4.4/5 (12 reviews)
Several academic reviewers cite her work in environmental history courses, while general readers comment on gaining new insights into colonial America's development.
📚 Books by Virginia DeJohn Anderson
Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America (2004)
Examines how livestock brought by English colonists shaped relationships between Native Americans and settlers in colonial America through changes in land use, property concepts, and subsistence patterns.
The Marthas: Private Lives in Revolutionary War America (2009) Chronicles the lives of five women named Martha during the American Revolution, exploring their roles in the conflict and illuminating domestic life in 18th century America.
New England's Generation: The Great Migration and the Formation of Society and Culture in the Seventeenth Century (1991) Analyzes the social and cultural impact of English migration to New England between 1629 and 1640, focusing on the settlers' origins, motivations, and community development.
Chain Her by One Foot: The Subjugation of Native Women in Seventeenth-Century New France (1991) Documents the changing status of Native American women in New France as European colonization and Christian missionaries altered traditional gender roles and power structures.
The Marthas: Private Lives in Revolutionary War America (2009) Chronicles the lives of five women named Martha during the American Revolution, exploring their roles in the conflict and illuminating domestic life in 18th century America.
New England's Generation: The Great Migration and the Formation of Society and Culture in the Seventeenth Century (1991) Analyzes the social and cultural impact of English migration to New England between 1629 and 1640, focusing on the settlers' origins, motivations, and community development.
Chain Her by One Foot: The Subjugation of Native Women in Seventeenth-Century New France (1991) Documents the changing status of Native American women in New France as European colonization and Christian missionaries altered traditional gender roles and power structures.
👥 Similar authors
William Cronon writes environmental histories focused on human-nature relationships in colonial and early America. His work "Changes in the Land" examines Native American and European settler impacts on New England ecosystems.
Carolyn Merchant analyzes interactions between nature and society during America's colonial period. She specializes in ecological transformations and gender perspectives in environmental history.
Timothy Silver explores relationships between humans and natural systems in early American history. His research focuses on ecological changes in the American South during colonial settlement.
Daniel K. Richter studies Native American history and intercultural relations in colonial North America. His work examines indigenous perspectives on colonization and settlement patterns.
James H. Merrell researches Native American-European relations in colonial America. He concentrates on cultural exchange and conflict between indigenous peoples and settlers in the colonial period.
Carolyn Merchant analyzes interactions between nature and society during America's colonial period. She specializes in ecological transformations and gender perspectives in environmental history.
Timothy Silver explores relationships between humans and natural systems in early American history. His research focuses on ecological changes in the American South during colonial settlement.
Daniel K. Richter studies Native American history and intercultural relations in colonial North America. His work examines indigenous perspectives on colonization and settlement patterns.
James H. Merrell researches Native American-European relations in colonial America. He concentrates on cultural exchange and conflict between indigenous peoples and settlers in the colonial period.