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During Lecture 1, we discussed a lot of people like Darwin, Stegner, Turner, and Bessey but I thought the most interesting topic was from Innis. When we discussed the Staple Theory and how Canada thrived from economic trading of wheat, fish and fur. I began thinking about how my homestate of Minnesota started as its seperate place in the nation. The frontier discovered the Mississippi River eventually and I'm sure that settlers traveled North & South to use it as a food,water, and cleaning source. They eventually reached Lake Itaska, MN to find a land with 10K lakes and even the Great Lakes which were the cornerstones of fishing, farming, trading, and transportation industries in Minnesota. The mighty Mississippi fuels the nations agriculture.
I'm sure every state has an interesting history & Beginning!

The settlers had to adapt to a very different environment and ecosystem when they arrived in Minnesota.
Thought Provoking Question: My Opinion-D
Which industry do you think thrived the fastest in Minnesota during its beginnings?
a. Fishing c. Transportation
b. Trading d. Agriculture

The 2nd lecture, we talked about guys like Webb, Harrison & Luebke, and Morton. The key character however was about Webb and his position on Human Adaptation. The settlers needed to utilize their environment and sort of "build around the obstacles" instead of eliminating them. The first Minnesotans had to use the lakes and rivers to their advantage so they could be a thriving society. Since most German, Russian, and Norwegians make up the Minnesotan society; they brought along customs, symbols, and traditions with them.
Harrison discussed four important topics: Cultural Heritage, Environmental Adaptation, Technological Innovation & The Metropolis. I thought about how cultural identity and environmental identity affect the Society.
Example...
I am mostly German and my parents grew up in Minnesota but why was I eating lutefisk as a child? Because my parents frequently visited "The feeds" with all those crazy lutefisk lovers made up mostly of Norwegians. Very self destructive food!