The Big 12: Readings in Agricultural History

This page is intended for the guidance of my graduate students who are preparing to take comps in my topical specialty—Agricultural History.

Here's the general scheme. I expect you to be well versed in twenty works in preparation for comps. You will have general knowledge of the field, sure, but be particularly prepared with respect to the twenty titles. The twelve titles here listed are the base list, a catalog of classics. To this, and in consultation with the second reader for your comps, we will add a few current and notable books in the field, along with a few works that provide conceptual grounding for your research.

Why have I listed twelve titles? That's Lutheran upbringing for you. Here's the base list.

The Big 12 (Agricultural)
Bogue, Allan G.	From Prairie to Corn Belt
Cronon, William	Nature’s Metropolis or Changes in the Land
Crosby, Alfred W.	The Columbian Exchange or Ecological Imperialism
Danbom, David B.	Born in the Country or The Resisted Revolution
Daniel, Pete	Breaking the Land
Fite, Gilbert C.	American Farmers or The Farmer’s Frontier
Hayter, Earl W.	The Troubled Farmer
Jordan, Terry G.	Trails to Texas or North American Cattle Ranching Frontiers
McMath, Robert C.	American Populism
Neth, Mary	Preserving the Family Farm
Salamon, Sonja	Prairie Patrimony
Wright, Gavin	The Political Economy of the Cotton Couth

The Wizard / Tom Isern