Nature Incorporated: Industrialization and the Waters of New England

by Ted Steinberg

A great deal of arrogance surrounds this late-twentieth-century attitude toward the environment, and a great deal of history as well. What started as a research paper at Brandeis University expanded into a book that explores the role of the Industrial Revolution in this aggressive stance toward the natural world. The transformation of nature is at least as old as our presence as a species on this planet. But the advent of the industrial age marked a shift in humankind's relations with the earth. Steinberg concerns himself mainly with describing this shift as it was felt in New England, to journey back to a time when the task of subduing nature was full of hard-fought battles and much less arrogance.

Genres: Environment, Economics, History

Paperback

First published May 31, 1991

Reviews

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theodore Stienberg focuses on the Merrimack River to demonstrate how nature was at the center of industrialization. Water power allowed for intensified production; this is a legal and environmental history that informs a larger social history of the textile industry's heyday in nineteenth century New England. This is a brilliantly clear thesis with a very nuanced argument developed throughout the book.

Three primary aims of this book: (a) advance the study of New England’s ecological history by approaching industrial capitalism from an environmental perspective; (b) focus on the conflict over nature in hopes of expanding our understanding of social history in the industrial age; and (c) contribute to legal history by exploring the relationship between law, water, and economic change (13).

The emergence of industrial capitalism signaled a new chapter in New England’s ecological history; water was becoming more of an abstract commodity. By the mid-nineteenth century, the law had moved firmly toward an instrumental conception of water use, toward a vision of water and law that sanctioned the maximization of economic growth (16).

[Mathew Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by Steinberg that I've read that would be considered a micro study. I've read Down to Earth and Acts of God, but both of those cover an array of topics -- not much depth. As it turns out, as much as I liked the other two books mentioned, I loved this one more. He really hit it home in the last few chapters and presented his case for his argument masterfully. And, as always, there exists several sarcastic and cynical, but humorous comments that make the read more pleasant. There are times in the first few chapters that he seems to ramble on a bit, to make the same point over and over, but that serves well for those skimming it as well as for setting up his points in the last few chapters.

One of my favorites!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at how industrial development in the 1800s "plumbed" the Merrimack River watershed. Lots of excellent citations and historical accounts of how our rivers were viewed by the courts, the public, mill owners, etc.