Evening at the Archives “The Nature of the Upper Peninsula: Environment and Identity in the North Country, 1955-1978”
In the decades following World War II, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula underwent economic, social, and environmental change. Deindustrialization, outmigration, and localized recession shaped economic realities of the region. In the wake of these economic changes, boosters, politicians, and local residents began to reimagine the future of the Upper Peninsula. Some hoped to restore the industrial economy. Others hoped to develop a tourist economy. Others yet hoped to protect and restore the local environments, championing the rhetoric of the burgeoning environmental movement. These debates revealed the complex political and social landscape of the Upper Peninsula.
Camden Burd is an assistant professor of history at Eastern Illinois University where he teaches courses on American, environmental, and public history. His research on the history of the Midwest has been published in multiple venues including The Michigan Historical Review as well as various edited collections focused on the history of the region.” Please include that snacks and refreshments will be provided at no charge.
