The Science of Useful Nature in Central America: Landscapes, Networks and Practical Enlightenment, 1784-1838

In the Age of Enlightenment, Sophie Brockmann argues that interactions with landscape and environment were central to the construction of Central American identities. She shows how patriotic reformers sought to improve the region's fortunes by applying scientific and useful knowledge gathered from local and global networks to the land, defining a new place for the natural world in narratives of nation and progress.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 281 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In this groundbreaking exploration, Sophie Brockmann delves into the profound role that interactions with the landscape and environment played in shaping Central American identities during the Age of Enlightenment. She contends that the emergence of new intellectual connections and innovative approaches to understanding landscapes exerted a transformative influence on political culture. As patriotic reformers embarked on a mission to improve the region's fortunes, they sought to harness the power of scientific and practical knowledge acquired from local and global networks to transform the land. These reformers established extensive networks that reached far beyond the boundaries of Central America, extending into the countryside and even beyond its borders.

Through meticulous tracing of these networks and the individuals within them—including bureaucrats, priests, laborers, merchants, and scholars—Brockmann unveils the lasting impact they had. By integrating the natural world into narratives of nation and progress, they carved out a new place for the environment, shaping the course of Central American history in profound ways.

This study offers a fresh perspective on the complex interplay between culture, society, and the natural world during a pivotal period in history. It sheds light on the ways in which individuals and groups used knowledge and networks to shape their environments and construct their identities, ultimately contributing to the development of Central America as a region with a unique cultural and historical identity.

ISBN-13: 9781108431620