Alfred W. Crosby

Who is Alfred W. Crosby?

Alfred W. Crosby is a historian, professor and author of such books as The Columbian Exchange and Ecological Imperialism. In these works, he provides biological and geographical explanations for why Europeans were able to succeed with relative ease in what he refers to as the Neo-Europes of Australasia, North America, and southern South America. Reference to his works is made by Indian scholar Ramachandra Guha in his publication.

Recognizing the majority of modern day wealth is located in Europe and the Neo-Europes, Crosby set out to investigate what historical causes are behind the disparity. According to Hal Rothman, a Professor of History at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Crosby “added biology to the process of human exploration, coming up with explanations for events as diverse as Cortez’s conquest of Mexico and the fall of the Inca empire that made vital use of the physical essence of humanity.”.

Crosby is Professor Emeritus of History, Geography, and American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He has taught at Washington State University, Yale University, the Alexander Turnbull Library in New Zealand, and the University of Helsinki. He was appointed an academician by Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari.