America's Wetland: An Environmental and Cultural History of Tidewater Virginia and North Carolina

Contents

contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 1 Ice-Age Enclave 7 2 Relict Fauna 14 3 Water’s Environmental Facets 44 4 Period of European Colonization 56 5 Agricultural History 67 6 Sturgeon, Herring, and Other Fisheries 83 7 Antebellum Golden Age: Transportation Canals 102 8 African American Experience 120 9 Armed Conflict: A Recurring Theme 136 vi W Contents 10 Intracoastal Waterways: War Canals 146 11 Forests Then and Now 156 12 Droughts and Forest Fires 167 13 From Peat Mining to Wildlife Refuges 177 14 Lost Heritage: Last River Highway 191 15 Urbanization and Depopulation 200 Epilogue 209 Notes 213 References 231 Index 245 ...