Introduction
In the article submitted for consideration, the author demonstrated a clear understanding of the influence of specific historical events on cultural and ecological development or other regional changes. This work is dedicated to reviewing significant environmental changes in South Carolina’s Piedmont using the specific example of Rose Hill, a plantation house in Union County. The data presented in the article can be of significant scientific interest, mainly the photos that best illustrate the scale of the described changes. Speaking of data, the article also provides a chart of the relationship between population and cotton production from 1860 to 2000. The figures mentioned above are intended to inform the reader about the essence of the issue discussed. The materials of the article are presented in a scientific style and accessible language, consistently and competently.
Discussion
It is common knowledge that people’s agricultural activity worsens the planet’s ecological situation. This article confirms that the landscapes of North America are no exception. The primary purpose of the publication is to provide an understanding of the environmental problems of the Rose Hill area, to explain their causes, and to form the reader’s understanding of the relationship between historical events and environmental consequences. The article tells about the history of the plantation house in Union County through the lens of three generations represented by William Henry Gist, Edward Shaffer, and Daniel deB. Richter.
The American South’s history is connected with the monoculture of the “cotton king” and the formation of the corresponding economic relations. In the southeastern states, cotton was grown without irrigation, using slave labor and later tenant croppers. 1As the cotton belt moved further into Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas, it became the largest cotton-growing region in the world. However, after the war, the situation changed and cropping as a phenomenon disappeared, and former black tenants moved to other regions. “Most South Carolinians, it is fair to speculate, did not see a future for themselves in the rural Piedmont.”2
In the article “The View from Rose Hill: Environmental, Architectural, and Cultural Recovery on a Piedmont Landscape,” as already mentioned, the changes in the mentioned territory are described in terms of the stay there of three people in different periods of history with a total duration of 156 years. This way of looking at things allows the reader to delve into the significance of historical changes and their interdependence with environmental changes. Thus, William Henry Gist, in 1832, changed the estate’s appearance in such a way that the entire territory of the plantation was visible. However, when Edward Shaffer arrived at the Rose Hill site in 1936, the house and surrounding grounds were in a terrible state of disrepair, which he identified as a result of the emancipation of the enslaved people. Finally, Daniel deB. In 2016, Richter looked utterly different. Restored and radiant, Rose Hill stood surrounded by a thriving state park honoring Gist and, by extension, the Confederacy.
The author successfully chose a structured presentation of the material, which allows the reader to grasp the essence from the point of view of historiography concerning ecology. Additionally, it should be noted that the author gives the transformations described in the publication as directly dependent on the race of the people who lived there. It opens a new, cultural-ethnic dimension to analyzing Rose Hill’s changes. It is interesting that the article, built on the racial root causes of the study, is described from the perspective of three white men. However, their view of things that “simultaneously existed under their feet and in their heads” reflects an attitude towards change and an understanding of the reasons.
Thus, the main conclusion of the articles is that political, historical, and cultural events directly impact the ecology of the environment in which they occur. The cotton cultivation by enslaved people and the subsequent emancipation are excellent examples of this phenomenon. After analyzing the publications, it becomes evident that the active use of land resources leads to devastating consequences that are difficult to cope with, including financially, for white and black farmers.3 In addition, the Civil War and the unstable political situation negatively affected the position of agriculturalists, further increasing the financial burden. Furthermore, although black laborers won at least some autonomy after the war, their economic independence was still threatened. The author successfully revealed these issues along with the root causes and consequences, both from historical and ecological points of view.
Conclusion
At the same time, the logical, analytical, and applied means of presenting the material predict the scientific value of this article in academic circles. Identifying the degree of influence of social, political, cultural, and economic changes on ecology is of great practical importance. Thus, the given materials can serve as a basis for further publications on this and related topics, as well as the introduction of new technological processes in the agricultural sector or research divisions of enterprises. The article “The View from Rose Hill: Environmental, Architectural, and Cultural Recovery on a Piedmont Landscape” is written on a current topic, has an author’s approach to the study of the specified issues, and meets the requirements for the design of scientific publications. In addition, a significant advantage of the article is the author’s ability to operate with analytical material and correctly assess the practical side of the features of ecological changes in the specified region. The text of the publications attests to the high level of the author’s training, his mastery of the technique of scientific and analytical cognition, and a corresponding idea of the historiographical aspects of environmental changes.
References
Giesen, J. C. (2020). The view from Rose Hill: Environmental, architectural, and cultural recovery on a piedmont landscape. In Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum, 27(2), 19-38. University of Minnesota Press. Web.
Mauldin, E. S. (2017). Freedom, economic autonomy, and ecological change in the Cotton South, 1865–1880. Journal of the Civil War Era, 7(3), 401-424. The University of North Carolina Press. Web.
Footnotes
- Mauldin, E. S. (2017). Freedom, economic autonomy, and ecological change in the Cotton South, 1865–1880. Journal of the Civil War Era, 7(3), 401-424. The University of North Carolina Press. Web.
- Giesen, J. C. (2020). The view from Rose Hill: Environmental, architectural, and cultural recovery on a piedmont landscape. In Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum, 27(2), 19-38. University of Minnesota Press. Web.
- Mauldin, E. S. (2017). Freedom, economic autonomy, and ecological change in the Cotton South, 1865–1880. Journal of the Civil War Era, 7(3), 401-424. The University of North Carolina Press. Web.