Historical geography is the branch of geography that studies the ways in which geographic phenomena have changed over time. In its modern form, it is a synthesizing discipline which shares both topical and methodological similarities with history, anthropology, ecology, geology, environmental studies, literary studies, and other fields. Although the majority of work in historical geography is considered human geography, the field also encompasses studies of geographic change which are not primarily anthropogenic. Historical geography is often a major component of school and university curricula in geography and social studies. Current research in historical geography is being performed by scholars in more than forty countries.
Themes
This sub-branch of human geography is closely related to history, environmental history, and historical ecology.
Historical geography seeks to determine how cultural features of various societies across the planet emerged and evolved by understanding their interaction with their local environment and surroundings.
More recent studies make use of non-traditional methods, such as botany and archeology.
Development of the discipline
In its early days, historical geography was difficult to define as a subject. A textbook from the 1950s cites a previous definition as an 'unsound attempt by geographers to explain history'. Its author, J. B. Mitchell, came down firmly on the side of geography: 'the historical geographer is a geographer first last and all the time'. By 1975 the first number of the Journal of Historical Geography had widened the discipline to a broader audience: 'the writings of scholars of any disciplinary provenance who have something to say about matters of geographical interest relating to past time'.
In the United States, the term historical geography is the name given by Carl Ortwin Sauer of the University of California, Berkeley to his program of reorganizing cultural geography (some say all geography) along regional lines, beginning in the first decades of the 20th century. To Sauer, a landscape and the cultures in it could only be understood if all of its influences through history were taken into account: physical, cultural, economic, political, environmental. Sauer stressed regional specialization as the only means of gaining sufficient expertise on regions of the world. Sauer's philosophy was the principal shaper of American geographic thought in the mid-20th century. Regional specialists remain in academic geography departments to this day. Despite this, some geographers feel that it harmed the discipline; that too much effort was spent on data collection and classification, and too little on analysis and explanation. Studies became more and more area-specific as later geographers struggled to find places to make names for themselves. These factors may have led in turn to the 1950s crisis in geography, which raised serious questions about geography as an academic discipline in the USA.
List of historical geographers
- M. R. G. Conzen
- William Cronon
- William Morris Davis
- Ge Jianxiong
- Patrick Geddes
- Elisabeth Gottschalk
- Torsten Hägerstrand
- Peter Hall
- Cole Harris
- Hou Renzhi
- Sa'd ibn Junaydil
- Anne Kelly Knowles
- Roy Marom
- Donald W. Meinig
- Brandon Plewe
- Carl O. Sauer
- Tan Qixiang
- Charles W. J. Withers
- John Kirtland Wright
- Paul Vidal de la Blache
- Xiong Huizhen
- Yang Shoujing
- Zhou Zhenhe
Major institutions
- The Historical Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers
- The Historical Geography Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society
Major journals
- Journal of Historical Geography
- Historical Geography
See also
- Historical atlas
References
- Sauer, Carl O. (1941). "Foreword to Historical Geography". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 31 (1): 1–24. doi:10.1080/00045604109357211. ISSN 0004-5608.
- Harris, Cole (1991). "Power, Modernity, and Historical Geography". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 81 (4): 671–683. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8306.1991.tb01714.x. ISSN 0004-5608.
- Pounds, Norman J. G. (1990-08-31). An Historical Geography of Europe. CUP Archive. ISBN 978-0-521-32217-1.
- Taxel, Itamar (2023-03-04). "Towards an Integration of Historical Trees into the Mediterranean Archaeological Record: Case Studies from Central Israel". Environmental Archaeology. 28 (2): 86–109. doi:10.1080/14614103.2021.1877512. ISSN 1461-4103.
- Keighren, Innes M.; Crampton, Jeremy W.; Ginn, Franklin; Kirsch, Scott; Kobayashi, Audrey; Naylor, Simon N; Seemann, Jörn (2017). "Teaching the history of geography: Current challenges and future directions". Progress in Human Geography. 41 (2): 245–262. doi:10.1177/0309132515575940. ISSN 0309-1325.
- Powell, Richard, and Robert M Wilson. "What Futures for the Pillar of Geography? a Report on the 16th International Conference of Historical Geographers, London." Historical Geography 43 (2015).
- Balée, William (2006): The Research Program of Historical Ecology. In Annual Review of Anthropology 35 (1), pp. 75–98.
- Mills, Sarah (2013). "Cultural–Historical Geographies of the Archive: Fragments, Objects and Ghosts". Geography Compass. 7 (10): 701–713. doi:10.1111/gec3.12071. ISSN 1749-8198.
- Merriman, Peter (2009-07-31). Driving Spaces: A Cultural-Historical Geography of England's M1 Motorway. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-49349-6.
- Marom, Roy; Taxel, Itamar (2023). "Ḥamāma: The historical geography of settlement continuity and change in Majdal 'Asqālan's hinterland, 1270–1750 CE". Journal of Historical Geography. 82: 49–65. doi:10.1016/j.jhg.2023.08.003. ISSN 0305-7488.
- Mitchell, J.B. Historical Geography (Hodder and Stoughton educational, 1954)
- Journal of Historical Geography Volome 1, Number 1,1975
- Williams, Michael (1983). ""The apple of my eye": Carl Sauer and historical geography". Journal of Historical Geography. 9 (1): 1–28. doi:10.1016/0305-7488(83)90139-1. ISSN 0305-7488.
Further reading
- Catchpole, Brian. A Map History of the Modern World: 1890 to the Present Day. 1972 ed. Agincourt, Ont.: Bellhaven House, 1972. N.B.: First ed. published in 1968; an earlier revision with corrections appeared in 1970; partly an atlas of historical geography, partly an atlas illustrating historical events and trends. ISBN 0-88774-800-7
- Baker, A.R.H. Geography and History: Bridging the Divide (Cambridge University Press, 2003)
Historical geography is the branch of geography that studies the ways in which geographic phenomena have changed over time In its modern form it is a synthesizing discipline which shares both topical and methodological similarities with history anthropology ecology geology environmental studies literary studies and other fields Although the majority of work in historical geography is considered human geography the field also encompasses studies of geographic change which are not primarily anthropogenic Historical geography is often a major component of school and university curricula in geography and social studies Current research in historical geography is being performed by scholars in more than forty countries A 1740 map of Paris Ortelius World Map 1570ThemesThis sub branch of human geography is closely related to history environmental history and historical ecology Historical geography seeks to determine how cultural features of various societies across the planet emerged and evolved by understanding their interaction with their local environment and surroundings More recent studies make use of non traditional methods such as botany and archeology Development of the disciplineIn its early days historical geography was difficult to define as a subject A textbook from the 1950s cites a previous definition as an unsound attempt by geographers to explain history Its author J B Mitchell came down firmly on the side of geography the historical geographer is a geographer first last and all the time By 1975 the first number of the Journal of Historical Geography had widened the discipline to a broader audience the writings of scholars of any disciplinary provenance who have something to say about matters of geographical interest relating to past time In the United States the term historical geography is the name given by Carl Ortwin Sauer of the University of California Berkeley to his program of reorganizing cultural geography some say all geography along regional lines beginning in the first decades of the 20th century To Sauer a landscape and the cultures in it could only be understood if all of its influences through history were taken into account physical cultural economic political environmental Sauer stressed regional specialization as the only means of gaining sufficient expertise on regions of the world Sauer s philosophy was the principal shaper of American geographic thought in the mid 20th century Regional specialists remain in academic geography departments to this day Despite this some geographers feel that it harmed the discipline that too much effort was spent on data collection and classification and too little on analysis and explanation Studies became more and more area specific as later geographers struggled to find places to make names for themselves These factors may have led in turn to the 1950s crisis in geography which raised serious questions about geography as an academic discipline in the USA List of historical geographersM R G Conzen William Cronon William Morris Davis Ge Jianxiong Patrick Geddes Elisabeth Gottschalk Torsten Hagerstrand Peter Hall Cole Harris Hou Renzhi Sa d ibn Junaydil Anne Kelly Knowles Roy Marom Donald W Meinig Brandon Plewe Carl O Sauer Tan Qixiang Charles W J Withers John Kirtland Wright Paul Vidal de la Blache Xiong Huizhen Yang Shoujing Zhou ZhenheMajor institutionsThe Historical Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers The Historical Geography Research Group of the Royal Geographical SocietyMajor journalsJournal of Historical Geography Historical GeographySee alsoHistorical atlasReferencesSauer Carl O 1941 Foreword to Historical Geography Annals of the Association of American Geographers 31 1 1 24 doi 10 1080 00045604109357211 ISSN 0004 5608 Harris Cole 1991 Power Modernity and Historical Geography Annals of the Association of American Geographers 81 4 671 683 doi 10 1111 j 1467 8306 1991 tb01714 x ISSN 0004 5608 Pounds Norman J G 1990 08 31 An Historical Geography of Europe CUP Archive ISBN 978 0 521 32217 1 Taxel Itamar 2023 03 04 Towards an Integration of Historical Trees into the Mediterranean Archaeological Record Case Studies from Central Israel Environmental Archaeology 28 2 86 109 doi 10 1080 14614103 2021 1877512 ISSN 1461 4103 Keighren Innes M Crampton Jeremy W Ginn Franklin Kirsch Scott Kobayashi Audrey Naylor Simon N Seemann Jorn 2017 Teaching the history of geography Current challenges and future directions Progress in Human Geography 41 2 245 262 doi 10 1177 0309132515575940 ISSN 0309 1325 Powell Richard and Robert M Wilson What Futures for the Pillar of Geography a Report on the 16th International Conference of Historical Geographers London Historical Geography 43 2015 Balee William 2006 The Research Program of Historical Ecology In Annual Review of Anthropology 35 1 pp 75 98 Mills Sarah 2013 Cultural Historical Geographies of the Archive Fragments Objects and Ghosts Geography Compass 7 10 701 713 doi 10 1111 gec3 12071 ISSN 1749 8198 Merriman Peter 2009 07 31 Driving Spaces A Cultural Historical Geography of England s M1 Motorway John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 978 0 470 49349 6 Marom Roy Taxel Itamar 2023 Ḥamama The historical geography of settlement continuity and change in Majdal Asqalan s hinterland 1270 1750 CE Journal of Historical Geography 82 49 65 doi 10 1016 j jhg 2023 08 003 ISSN 0305 7488 Mitchell J B Historical Geography Hodder and Stoughton educational 1954 Journal of Historical Geography Volome 1 Number 1 1975 Williams Michael 1983 The apple of my eye Carl Sauer and historical geography Journal of Historical Geography 9 1 1 28 doi 10 1016 0305 7488 83 90139 1 ISSN 0305 7488 Further readingCatchpole Brian A Map History of the Modern World 1890 to the Present Day 1972 ed Agincourt Ont Bellhaven House 1972 N B First ed published in 1968 an earlier revision with corrections appeared in 1970 partly an atlas of historical geography partly an atlas illustrating historical events and trends ISBN 0 88774 800 7 Baker A R H Geography and History Bridging the Divide Cambridge University Press 2003
