The Medieval Warm Period AD 900 to 1200 09 24 2013 The Medieval Warm Period A D 900 1200 Some of the warmest four centuries of the past 8000 years Average summer temperatures were between0 7 and 1 0 degrees Celsius above the 20th century averages Central Europe was even warmer 1 4 degrees Celsius above modern averages European expansion Height of Norse influence 800 1200 Vikings explored everywhere and the warm weather made their expansions possible Iceland and Greenland settled raised cattle and sheep Agriculture can be practiced at higher elevations in England and Scotland than ever before and since Grew grapes for wine English population increased from 1 4 million in 11th century to 5 million by 1300 France s population increased from 6 2 million to 17 6 million in same time period Age of cathedrals The Little Ice Age 1300 1850 Starting about 1310 and continuing for about 51 2 centuries the climate became cooler Effects may have been strongest in Europe and North America Temperature data reconstructed from o Ice cores o Tree Rings o Growing Grapes Possible causes of Little Ice Age Solar minimum Fresh water from melting polar ice caps disrupts Atlantic conveyor Increase in volcanic eruptions causes polar ice to spread The Cooling Begins settlers die out 14th century was the coldest Greenland for past 700 years Nordic Between 1250 and 1280 sea ice extended from Greenland to Iceland allowing polar bears to come ashore 15ht century exceptionally cold in Europe Wine production ended in Britain in 1440 Frost Fairs c 1600 1820 1600 1730 Trends By 1600 Alpine glaciers reached farther downslope than ever before or since Dozens of alpine villages overrun by ice 1680 1730 the coldest cycle of the Little Ice Age By 1695 sea ice completely surrounded the coast of Iceland Warmer Greenhouse 1850 to Present Little Ice Age ended in two warming stages 1850 1945 and 1975 to present Year without Summer April 1815 eruption of Mt Tamborsa Indonesia o Strongest eruption in 15 000 years Led to unusually cold summer in 1816 Snow fell in New England in June pounds froze also New England was hard place to settler already and a lot of people left because they were fed up with the climate and not being able to farm Transforming the New England Environment The transition from Indian to European population in New England was as much an ecological as a cultural revolution Both groups of humans altered their environment There has been no timeless unchanging wilderness 16th and 17th Century New England For entirety of 16th century Europeans understood little about North America Maps showed only a line between ocean and land but the coastline was very detailed knowing where hazards and such are but had little knowledge of mainland Indians and their Environment Indians regularity burned the forest to create habitats suitable to plants they wanted t grow and animals they wanted to hunt Burn undergrowth so the deer would be more attracted to that area Europeans often commented on how open and park like early New England forests were Indians deliberately created this environment Corn grown on cleared land for 8 10 years in succession Scarcity and Mobility a time of want Accepted that summer would be time of plenty and winter would be Indian population densities limited by these times of winter scarcity Indian population of New England 70 000 to 100 000 in 1600 Where Indians relied on mobility Europeans practiced fixed This was part of the reason that Europeans did not believe that Indians deserved to own the land o Some Europeans disagreed ex Roger Williams founder of R I England Land Use agriculture in 1635 Depopulation European found lots of vacant cleared land because of the impact of diseases small pox influenza plague malaria yellow fever etc Indians had no acquired immunities to these diseases o Initial death rates often 80 90 percent By 1675 Indian population of New England had declined from at least 70 000 to 12 000 This made it easier for Europeans to take over Indian Lands Trade centered around exchange of European metal goods brass and copper pots hatchets knives guns for Indian furs mainly Increased trade led to decline of animal populations A product of over hunting and destruction of habitat Impact of Trade beaver Forests Habitat of destruction partly result of market for timber Perfect source of timber for ship s masts o Trees of such size and straightness were unknown in Europe where masts often had to be spliced together But most forests were destroyed to make room for farms and heating New Englanders consumed more than 260 million cords of firewood 1630 1800 Impact of Deforestation Cleared lands in New England were sunnier windier hotter colder and direr than they had been before Forests reduced wind speed by 20 to 60 percent and lowered Watersheds emptied themselves more quickly which led to more evaporation rates from soil flooding and erosion Eventually shifted to coal in the 19th century as New England ran out of wood Would eventually lead to oil in 20th century Animals and the Land Europe and Indian land use differed less in the crops they grew than Europeans large domesticated animals Hogs cattle oxen horses in their use of animals sheep and pigs Industrial Revolution Industrial revolution would again transform New England landscape in the 19th century By that time New England had become a world of cleared fields and fences Food in America Food a class marker in 17th and 18th century Europe Becomes national identity in the 19th century o Tomato based Italian cooking Colonial American cooking largely English Kitchen and Utensils Large brick or stone fireplace Knives and spoons but few forks in colonial America Four food tradition in the U S New England Boiled and baked meats Southern high seasoned food frying simmering Middle colonies plain simple lots of boiling Frontier more potatoes corn lots of pork 09 24 2013 09 24 2013