A Plague of Sheep: Environmental Consequences of the Conquest of Mexico (Studies in Environment and History)

This is a book about the biological conquest of the New World. Taking as a case study the sixteenth century history of a region of highland central Mexico, it shows how the environmental and social changes brought about by the introduction of Old World species aided European expansion. The book spells out in detail the environmental changes associated with the introduction of Old World grazing animals into New World ecosystems, demonstrates how these changes enabled the Spanish takeover of land, and explains how environmental changes shaped the colonial societies. This book is about the biological conquest of the New World. It explores the idea that the transformation of the biological regime associated with the introduction of Old World species into New World ecosystems enabled the conquest of indigenous populations and the domination of vast areas of rural space. It uses the sixteenth-century history of a region of highland central Mexico as a case study and focuses on the changes associated with the introduction of Old World grazing animals. The study spells out in detail the processes that enabled the Spanish takeover of land, and clarifies the role of environmental change in the evolution of colonial society; it is suggested that the formation of a stable colonial regime constituted the conquest process Deterioration of the soil-water regime, marginalization of the indigenous majority, and the formation of latifundia were reflected in the formation of an archetypically New World landscape that has mystified the history both of the land and its inhabitants, and led to policies that treat the symptoms of environmental degradation rather than the cause Introduction -- Alien Landscapes -- The Australian Experience -- The Mexican Case -- The Conquest Process -- The Colonial Regime. Elinor G.k. Melville. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 187-196) And Index.