The Tame and the Wild: People and Animals after 1492

Marcy Norton's book "The Tame and the Wild" explores how the colonization of the Americas was shaped by European and Native American beliefs about animal life, with horses, dogs, sheep, cattle, pigs, and chickens being central to European plans. Native peoples' practices of familiarization also influenced European culture, leading to zoological science and the modern pet.

Format: Hardback
Length: 448 pages
Publication date: 09 January 2024
Publisher: Harvard University Press

When Christopher Columbus and his crew landed on the island of Guanahani in 1492, they encountered a vast cultural divide that extended far beyond the oceans that had separated them. The encounter between the European explorers and the Native American inhabitants showcased a profound difference in their attitudes towards animals. In her book, "The Tame and the Wild," Marcy Norton presents a fresh perspective on the colonization of the Americas, centering wildlife and livestock as the central characters in the narrative. Norton reveals that the encounters between European and Native American beliefs about animal life had a profound impact on societies on both sides of the Atlantic.

The European colonizers' strategies and motives for conquest were closely intertwined with the use of horses, dogs, sheep, cattle, pigs, and chickens. These animals served as means of transportation, tools of warfare, and sources of food and valuable commodities. However, it is important to recognize that Native peoples also had their own practices around animals that played a significant role in shaping the world after 1492. Cultures throughout the Caribbean, Amazonia, and Mexico were deeply invested in familiarization, which involved capturing wild animals and transforming some of them into "companion species."

These taming practices not only influenced the way Indigenous people responded to human and nonhuman intruders but also had a profound impact on European culture itself. They paved the way for the development of zoological science and the modern pet industry. The encounter between Europe and the Americas in 1492 marked a turning point in history, one that set the stage for the complex and multifaceted relationship between humans and animals that continues to shape our world today.

Weight: 874g
Dimension: 167 x 242 x 39 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674737525