Alexander von Humboldt and James Bryce Compared: The Geographical Factor in History. (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Covarrubias, José Enrique
• Is Part Of: Terrae incognitae. Volume 52:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 21
• Page End: 36
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Alexander von Humboldt -- James Bryce -- anthropogeography -- America and the history of the idea of the world; Alexander von Humboldt -- James Bryce -- l'anthropogéographie -- l'Amérique et l'histoire de l'idée du monde; Alexander von Humboldt -- James Bryce -- antropogeografía -- América y la historia de la idea del mundo; Discoveries in geography -- History -- Periodicals; Intercultural communication -- History -- Periodicals; 910.9
• DOI: 10.1080/00822884.2020.1731061
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0082-2884

Abstract

Abstract : Alexander von Humboldt's and James Bryce's travels in Latin America were separated by a century; nevertheless, both of them situated the region within a continental and worldwide framework. The two men emphasized the importance of geography as a factor that influenced history whenever they explained the development of peoples, both in their more "primitive" phases as well as in a more "advanced" state of civilization. Although Bryce's South America (1912) has often been disregarded by Bryce scholars, what is certain is that the work reveals important keys regarding the ways in which he understood geography as a true foundation of the historical development of nations, and humanity as a whole. This certainty, also present to good extent in Humboldt, has been highlighted in the present article.