Americans have sought to use science and sovereignty to influence what new kinds of organisms would live within their national borders. This interest has involved the importation of promising exotic species, the creation of varieties adapted to American environments, and the exclusion of alien pests. Drawing on Alfred Crosby's metaphor of ecological imperialism, I call these concerns "American desires for ecological independence." My project investigates the history of these biotic dimensions of national self-determination. Utilizing the extensive published and manuscript records produced by horticulturists--a biotechnological network that has been the subject of little scholarly research--I examine a series of critical events from the Revolution to the present. These include the debates over the degeneration of cultured Old World plants in North America, fears about the destruction of wheat by the Hessian fly, efforts to create and define American fruits, discussions regarding the forestation of the prairies, efforts to exterminate completely such alien pests as the gypsy moth and the medfly, and contemporary discussions plans to control biological invaders and to restore native ecosystems. My focus is on the temperate humid regions of the continental United States, but I also consider, as a contrasting case, the outlying tropical margin of southern Florida. This project, integrating history of science, technology, international relations, environment, and nationalism, will offer a new perspective on the ways Americans have altered the continent's species in the last two centuries. It will result in a book that will deepen public understanding of the place of biotechnology, broadly conceived, in the shaping of the American nation. It will also have a more focused impact on assessments of environmental norms: a scholarly study emphasizing the diversity of scientific perspectives and the uncertainties in decision-making will advance reasoned and effective policies regarding migrating organisms.
