Terra Cognita: Constructing a Global Database of Historical Land and Infrastructure Development

Description of the research project:

Existing research has established the significant role of land in American political and economic development. Land acted as a crucial resource that was used to finance canals and railroads, establish universities, and lure settlers westward. Accordingly, much of the policy-making of early American government was oriented around acquiring, defending, and developing the land. By the turn of the twentieth century, other governments had taken note of the United States’ territorially-driven development and sought to replicate it by pursuing their own land reforms and financing infrastructure projects. Land the world over was transformed from various forms of customary and communal ownership into private property and territory became the ultimate marker of political jurisdiction. This research suggests that land, in other words, was at the center of the making of political and economic modernity. However, despite this existing research, to date there is no comprehensive understanding of how different countries approached land and infrastructure development during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This project aims to address this gap by constructing a global database documenting the various policies governments adopted towards Native peoples, land tenure, and infrastructure investment over this time period.This data will encompass both colonial and postcolonial governments, as well as policies adopted in imperial metropoles. The goal is to be able to use this data to identify commonalities across cases, develop a typology of developmental paths, and identify directions for future research.

Description of work that will be assigned to research assistants:

Students will review the existing secondary literature to compile information on the policies various governments adopted towards Native peoples, land tenure, and infrastructure investment during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This will involve conducting literature reviews to identify the relevant historical secondary research; working with the lead researcher to develop a protocol for identifying, extracting, and organizing relevant data from that literature; and assisting with data entry and cleaning. Students who are passionate about diving into the history of a particular country or region, especially if they are preparing for an honors thesis, are particularly encouraged to apply. Students will need to be able to work independently and creatively, and be willing to conduct in-person library research. No quantitative skills are necessary. Foreign language skills are a plus.

Contact information: Mary Shi, maryshi@umich.edu

Average hours of work per week: 6-8 hours

Range of credit hours students can earn: 2 credits

Number of positions available: 2