Influences of Geographic Environment | Page 2

Anglo-Saxon mind.
One point more. The organic theory of society and state permeates the
_Anthropo-geographie_, because Ratzel formulated his principles at a
time when Herbert Spencer exercised a wide influence upon European
thought. This theory, now generally abandoned by sociologists, had to
be eliminated from any restatement of Ratzel's system. Though it was
applied in the original often in great detail, it stood there nevertheless
rather as a scaffolding around the finished edifice; and the stability of
the structure, after this scaffolding is removed shows how extraneous to
the whole it was. The theory performed, however, a great service in
impressing Ratzel's mind with the life-giving connection between land
and people.
The writer's own method of research has been to compare typical
peoples of all races and all stages of cultural development, living under
similar geographic conditions. If these peoples of different ethnic
stocks but similar environments manifested similar or related social,
economic or historical development, it was reasonable to infer that such
similarities were due to environment and not to race. Thus, by
extensive comparison, the race factor in these problems of two
unknown quantities was eliminated for certain large classes of social
and historical phenomena.
The writer, moreover, has purposely avoided definitions, formulas, and
the enunciation of hard-and-fast rules; and has refrained from any effort
to delimit the field or define the relation of this new science of
anthropo-geography to the older sciences. It is unwise to put tight
clothes on a growing child. The eventual form and scope of the science,
the definition and organization of its material must evolve gradually,
after long years and many efforts of many workers in the field. The
eternal flux of Nature runs through anthropo-geography, and warns

against precipitate or rigid conclusions. But its laws are none the less
well founded because they do not lend themselves to mathematical
finality of statement. For this reason the writer speaks of geographic
factors and influences, shuns the word geographic determinant, and
speaks with extreme caution of geographic control.
The present volume is offered to the public with a deep sense of its
inadequacy; with the realization that some of its principles may have to
be modified or their emphasis altered after wider research; but also with
the hope that this effort may make the way easier for the scholar who
shall some day write the ideal treatise on anthropo-geography.
In my work on this book I have only one person to thank, the great
master who was my teacher and friend during his life, and after his
death my inspiration.
ELLEN CHURCHILL SEMPLE. LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY,
January, 1911.

CONTENTS
PREFACE
CHAPTER I.
OPERATION OF GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS IN HISTORY
Man a product of the earth's surface--Persistent effect of geographic
barriers--Recurrent influences of nature-made highways--Regions of
historical similarity--Persistence of climatic influences--Relation of
geography to history--Multiplicity of geographic factors--Evolution of
geographic relations--Interplay of geographic factors--Direct and
indirect effects of environment--Indirect effects in differentiation of
colonial peoples--General importance of indirect effects--Time
element--Previous habitat--Transplanted religions--Partial response to
environment--The larger conception of environment--Unity of the earth

and the human race.
CHAPTER II.
CLASSES OF GEOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES
Four classes of influences--Physical effects of environment--Stature
and environment--Effects of dominant activities--Physical effects of
climate--Pigmentation in relation to heat and light--Pigmentation and
altitude--Difficulty of generalization from geographic
distribution--Psychical effects--In Religion--In mind and character--In
language--The great man in history--Economic and social effects--Size
of the social group--Effects on movements of peoples--Segregation and
accessibility--Change of habitat.
CHAPTER III.
SOCIETY AND STATE IN RELATION TO THE LAND
People and land--Political geography--Political versus social
geography--Land basis of society--Morgan's _societas_--Land bond in
primitive hunter tribes--In fisher tribes--In pastoral tribes--Land and
state--Strength of the land bond in the state--Evolution of land
tenure--Land and food supply--Advance from natural to artificial basis
of subsistence--Land basis in relation to agriculture--Migratory and
sedentary agriculture--Geographic checks to progress in economic and
social development--Native animal and plant life as factors in
progress--Density of population under different cultural and geographic
conditions--Its relation to government--Territorial expansion of the
state--Artificial checks to population--Extra-territorial relations of state
and people--Theory of progress from the standpoint of
geography--Progressive dependence of man upon nature.
CHAPTER IV.
MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLES IN THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL
SIGNIFICANCE

Universality of such movements--The name Historical Movement--Its
evolution--Its importance in history--Geographical interpretation of
historical movement--Mobility of primitive peoples--Civilization and
mobility--Migration and ethnic mingling--Cultural modification during
migration--The transit land--War as form of historical
movement--Slavery--Military colonies--Withdrawal and flight--Natural
regions of asylum--Emigration and colonization--Commerce as a form
of historical movement--Movements due to religion--Historical
movement and race distribution--Zonal distribution--Movements to like
or better geographic conditions--Their direction--Return
movements--Regions of attraction and repulsion--Psychical influences
in certain movements--Two results of historical
movement--Differentiation and area--Differentiation and
isolation--Geographic conditions of heterogeneity and
homogeneity--Assimilation--Elimination of unfit variants through
historical movement--Geographical origins.
CHAPTER V.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
The importance of geographical location--Content of the term
location--Intercontinental location--Natural versus vicinal
location--Naturally defined location--Vicinal location--Vicinal groups
of