William D. Riddell, On the Waves of Empire: U.S. Imperialism and Merchant Sailors, 1872–1924

Reviews 453 and learned to cope with annoying disruptions.The immigrating Americans, however, determined that the swamps were a dangerous impediment, a potential unhealthy ecosystem that allowed malarial mosquitoes to breed as well as inhibited agricultural development.By 1830, there were alterations in Chicago's waterways that made the Chicago River a serious exit from and entry to Lake Michigan, plus a channel to help negotiate around the perennial sand-silting that the weather produced at the end of the lake.The revamping of the lakefront became increasingly more complex.Before long, the railways competed for the movement of goods, growing the city into the commercial center.Most of the Indigenous people departed; however, a remnant remains even today.Although a functional waterway was built and is still used, ironically Chicago became a national transportation hub for both rail and air traffic.There was a steep cost, however.The cityscape greatly changed the intricate natural ecosystems in this primal region.Chicago now faces several environmental crises that can be traced back to its beginnings, which were built upon fluctuating wetlands and intertwined rivers.John Nelson's Muddy Ground, a scholarly and uncommon maritime history, delves deeply into the development of the heartland of the United States.Although the author's prose is at times somewhat academic, this unusual and significant work is one that I recommend to scholars who are interested in the development of middle America.