American Empire: Roosevelt’s Geographer and the Prelude to Globalization (Volume 9) (California Studies in Critical Human Geography)

An American Empire, constructed over the last century, long ago overtook European colonialism, and it has been widely assumed that the new globalism it espoused took us "beyond geography." Neil Smith debunks that assumption, offering an incisive argument that American globalism had a distinct geography and was pieced together as part of a powerful geographical vision. The power of geography did not die with the twilight of European colonialism, but it did change fundamentally. That the inauguration of the American Century brought a loss of public geographical sensibility in the United States was itself a political symptom of the emerging empire. This book provides a vital geographical-historical context for understanding the power and limits of contemporary globalization, which can now be seen as representing the third of three distinct historical moments of U.S. global ambition. The story unfolds through a decisive account of the career of Isaiah Bowman (1878–1950), the most famous American geographer of the twentieth century. For nearly four decades Bowman operated around the vortex of state power, working to bring an American order to the global landscape. An explorer on the famous Machu Picchu expedition of 1911 who came to be known first as "Woodrow Wilson’s geographer," and later as Frankin D. Roosevelt’s, Bowman was present at the creation of U.S. liberal foreign policy. A quarter-century later, Bowman was at the center of Roosevelt’s State Department, concerned with the disposition of Germany and heightened U.S. access to European colonies; he was described by Dean Acheson as a key "architect of the United Nations." In that period he was a leader in American science, served as president of Johns Hopkins University, and became an early and vociferous cold warrior. A complicated, contradictory, and at times controversial figure who was very much in the public eye, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Bowman’s career as a geographer in an era when the value of geography was deeply questioned provides a unique window into the contradictory uses of geographical knowledge in the construction of the American Empire. Smith’s historical excavation reveals, in broad strokes yet with lively detail, that today's American-inspired globalization springs not from the 1980s but from two earlier moments in 1919 and 1945, both of which ended in failure. By recharting the geography of this history, Smith brings the politics—and the limits—of contemporary globalization sharply into focus. An American Empire, constructed over the last century, long ago overtook European colonialism, and it has been widely assumed that the new globalism it espoused took us "beyond geography." Neil Smith debunks that assumption, offering an incisive argument that American globalism had a distinct geography and was pieced together as part of a powerful geographical vision. The power of geography did not die with the twilight of European colonialism, but it did change fundamentally. That the inauguration of the American Century brought a loss of public geographical sensibility in the United States was itself a political symptom of the emerging empire. This book provides a vital geographical-historical context for understanding the power and limits of contemporary globalization, which can now be seen as representing the third of three distinct historical moments of U.S. global ambition. The story unfolds through a decisive account of the career of Isaiah Bowman (1878-1950), the most famous American geographer of the twentieth century. For nearly four decades Bowman operated around the vortex of state power, working to bring an American order to the global landscape. An explorer on the famous Machu Picchu expedition of 1911 who came to be known first as "Woodrow Wilson's geographer," and later as Franklin D. Roosevelt's, Bowman was present at the creation of U.S. liberal foreign policy. A quarter-century later, Bowman was at the center of Roosevelt's State Department, concerned with the disposition of Germany and heightened U.S. access to European colonies; he was described by Dean Acheson as a key "architect of the United Nations." In that period he was a leader in American science, served as president of Johns Hopkins University, and became an early and vociferous cold warrior. A complicated, contradictory, and at times controversial figure who was very much in the public eye, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Bowman's career as a geographer in an era when the value of geography was deeply questioned provides a unique window into the contradictory uses of geographical knowledge in the construction of the American Empire. Smith's historical excavation reveals, in broad strokes yet with lively detail, that today's American-inspired globalization springs not from the 1980's but from two earlier moments in 1919 and 1945, both of which ended in failure. By recharting the geography of this history, Smith brings the politics-and the limits-of contemporary globalization sharply into focus "The story unfolds through a decisive account of the career of Isaiah Bowman (1878-1950), the most famous American geographer of the twentieth century. For nearly four decades Bowman operated around the vortex of state power, working to bring an American order to the global landscape. An explorer on the famous Machu Picchu expedition of 1911 who came to be known first as "Woodrow Wilson's geographer," and later as Franklin D. Roosevelt's, Bowman was present at the creation of U.S. liberal foreign policy.". "A quarter-century later, Bowman was at the center of Roosevelt's State Department, concerned with the disposition of Germany and heightened U.S. access to European colonies; he was described by Dean Acheson as a key "architect of the United Nations." In that period he was a leader in American science, served as president of Johns Hopkins University, and became an early and vociferous cold warrior. A complicated, contradictory, and at times controversial figure who was very much in the public eye, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine.". "Bowman's career as a geographer in an era when the value of geography was deeply questioned provides a unique window into the contradictory uses of geographical knowledge in the construction of the American Empire. Smith's historical excavation reveals, in broad strokes yet with lively detail, that today's American-inspired globalization springs not from the 1980s but from two earlier moments in 1919 and 1945, both of which ended in failure. By recharting the geography of this history, Smith brings the politics - and the limits - of contemporary globalization sharply into focus."--BOOK JACKET. The story unfolds through a decisive account of the career of Isaiah Bowman (1878-1950), the most famous American geographer of the twentieth century. For nearly four decades Bowman operated around the vortex of state power, working to bring an American order to the global landscape. An explorer on the famous Machu Picchu expedition of 1911 who came to be known first as "Woodrow Wilson's geographer," and later as Franklin D. Roosevelt's, Bowman was present at the creation of U.S. liberal foreign policy.

A quarter-century later, Bowman was at the center of Roosevelt's State Department, concerned with the disposition of Germany and heightened U.S. access to European colonies; he was described by Dean Acheson as a key "architect of the United Nations." In that period he was a leader in American science, served as president of Johns Hopkins University, and became an early and vociferous cold warrior. A complicated, contradictory, and at times controversial figure who was very much in the public eye, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

Bowman's career as a geographer in an era when the value of geography was deeply questioned provides a unique window into the contradictory uses of geographical knowledge in the construction of the American Empire. Smith's historical excavation reveals, in broad strokes yet with lively detail, that today's American-inspired globalization springs not from the 1980s but from two earlier moments in 1919 and 1945, both of which ended in failure. By recharting the geography of this history, Smith brings the politics —and the limits— of contemporary globalization sharply into focus.

Frontmatter List of Maps (page ix) Prologue (page xi) Acknowledgments (page xxiii) 1. The Lost Geography of the American Century (page 1) PART I. FROM EXPLORATION TO ENTERPRISE: GEOGRAPHY ON THE CUSP OF EMPIRE 2. 1898 and the Making of a Practical Man (page 31) 3."Conditional Conquest": Geography, Labor, and Exploration in South America (page 53) 4. The Search for Geographical Order: The American Geographical Society (page 83) PART II. THE RISE OF FOREIGN POLICY LIBERALISM: THE GREAT WAR AND THE NEW WORLD 5. The Inquiry: Geography and a "Scientific Peace" (page 113) 6. A Last Hurrah for Old World Geographies: Fixing Space at the Paris Peace Conference (page 139) 7. "Revolutionarily Yours": The New World, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Making of Liberal Foreign Policy (page 181) PART III. THE EMPIRE AT HOME: SCIENCE AND POLITICS 8. "The Geography of Internal Affairs": Pioneer Settlement as National Economic Development (page 211) 9. The Kantian University: Science and Nation Building at Johns Hopkins (page 235) PART IV. THE AMERICAN LEBENSRAUM 10. Geopolitics: The Reassertion of Old World Geographies (page 273) 11. Silence and Refusal: Refugees, Race, and Economic Development (page 293) 12. Settling Affairs with the Old World: Dismembering Germany? (page 317) 13. Toward Development: Shaking Loose the Colonies (page 347) 14. Frustrated Globalism, Compromise Geographies: Designing the United Nations (page 374) PART IV. THE BITTER END 15. Defeat from the Jaws of Victory (page 419) 16. Geographical Solicitude, Vital Anomaly (page 454) Collections Consulted (page 463) Notes (page 465) Index (page 539) The Lost Geography Of The American Century -- 1898 And The Making Of A Practical Man -- Conditional Conquest : Geography, Labor, And Exploration In South America -- The Search For Geographical Order : The American Geographical Society -- The Inquiry : Geography And A Scientific Peace -- A Last Hurrah For Old World Geographies : Fixing Space At The Paris Peace Conference -- Revolutionarily Yours : The New World, The Council On Foreign Relations, And The Making Of Liberal Foreign Policy -- The Geography Of Internal Affairs : Pioneer Settlement As National Economic Development -- The Kantian University : Science And Nation Building At Johns Hopkins -- Geopolitics : The Reassertion Of Old World Geographies -- Silence And Refusal : Refugees, Race, And Economic Development -- Settling Affairs With The Old World : Dismembering Germany? -- Toward Development : Shaking Loose The Colonies -- Frustrated Globalism, Compromise Geographies : Designing The United Nations -- Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory -- Geographical Solicitude, Vital Anomaly. Neil Smith. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [465]-537) And Index. Los Angles Times Book Prizes: 2003 Biography Winner. Arguing that American globalism had a very distinct geography and was pieced together as part of a powerful geographical vision, this text explores US global ambition. The story unfolds through an account of the career of Isaiah Bowman, the most famous American geographer of the 20th century The story is told, perhaps apocryphally, that in May 1898 when William McKinley received the news that Commodore George Dewey had sailed into Manila Bay, routed the Spanish navy, and claimed the Philippines, the president was immediately jubilant-but also quickly puzzled.