The rise of American geography as a distinctive science in the United States straddles the 19th and 20th centuries, extending from the post-Civil war period to 1970. American Geography and Geographers: Toward Geographic Science is the first book to thoroughly and richly explicate this history. Its author, Geoffrey J. Martin, the foremost historian on the subject and official archivist of the Association of American Geographers, amassed a wealth of primary sources from archives worldwide, which enable him to chart the evolution of American geography with unprecedented detail and context. From the initial influence of the German school to the emergence of Geography as a unique discipline in American universities and thereafter, Martin clarifies the what, how and when of each advancement. Expansive discussion of the arguments made, controversies ignited and research voyages move hand in hand with the principals who originated and animated them: Davis, Jefferson, Huntington, Bowman, Johnson, Sauer, Hartshorne, and many more. From their grasp of local, regional, global and cultural phenomena, geographers also played pivotal roles in world historical events, including the two world wars and their treaties, as the US became the dominant global power. American Geography and Geographers: Toward Geographical Science is a conclusive study of the birth and maturation of the science. It will be of interest to geographers, teachers and students of geography, and all those compelled by the story of American Geography and those who founded and developed it.

Excerpt from Studies in the Principles of Geography: Following the Problem Method This little book represents an attempt to develop a working knowledge of some of the principles of geography through the problem method of attack. It is the outgrowth of classroom experience and has been in the process of evolution through a number of years. The method of attack and development follows as nearly as possible the natural steps in the thinking process. The aim has been not to sacrifice pedagogical considerations for the sake of a logical arrangement, but to correlate the two in the best possible way. It will be noted that there arc ten groups of problems. Each group is introduced by the statement of the large idea, the central thought running through the entire series of problems. The main problems of this book involve what may be considered a list of basic minimum essentials in the principles of geography. The conclusions, which are an essential part of each problem, require the formal statement of a large list of geographic principles, each vitally connected up with some problem full of life interest. The related problems are calculated to give the student drill on principles previously learned, and to afford opportunity to recognize old principles in new associations. Frequently it will be found that the related problem is really a corollary to the main problem, rather than a mere practice exercise. It may not be out of place here to state that this syllabus was awarded first place by the National Council of Normal School Presidents and Principals in a competition among syllabi submitted from thirty-seven normal schools in twenty-four states. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.