A Perfect Red

            It seems that this forum has gravitated toward naming history disciplines, which I’m inclined to give my two cents. Is this a popular history? An academic history? Political or economic? Well, all of the above, but with a somewhat new twist. The books we’ve read in class have focused on economic changes, peoples’ agency and how that is defined based on the time period (i.e. in this book, the rich have bold colours to work with, while the poor are left with the dull, cheap material), and how indigenous groups are treated. Looking back last week, Candace mentioned the Coes’ use of Botany in the first few chapters, a rather refreshing and different perspective. I understand some people didn’t agree with its inclusion, but cross disciplines makes for a stronger argument.

            Amy Butler Greenfield expanded on the Coes’ use of Botany by integrating scientific history with world history. Her writing is wonderful and her facts are interesting, however it’s this particular cross discipline that intrigued me. Greenfield gives readers a look into a rather scarcely discussed subject and shows us how much of an impact it truly was to the New World. The discovery of this mysterious red dye baffled natural philosophers, resulting in their “understanding” that “at least one type of grain might somehow be both things: a berry that turned into a worm, which he called a ‘wormberry’” (126). However, this all changed with the invention of the microscope and with it came the scientific discipline of Biology taking root. Along with the microscope, synthetic dyes changed the structure of the world. “For centuries, imperial nations like Spain and Britain had dominated the lucrative dye trade…Yet in the brave new world of industrial chemistry, Germany had great potential” (235). Science merged with history created a more cohesive story, and I’m glad historians are open to incorporating other disciplines.