Huntington, Ellsworth (1876–1947)

Ellsworth huntington (1876–1947), american geographer, was best known as the leading proponent of a school of thought commonly known as environmental determinism. Environmental determinism claimed that geographic controls and related environmental conditions dictated a predictable human response and, consequently, had a profound influence on the development of societies and the course of history. Professional scholars were critical of his work; nevertheless, his ideas had a certain force in the academic world. In addition, the sheer volume of these writings and their popularity with the public ensured a prominent place in the geographic and environmental intellectual milieu of the time.

Between 1897 and 1906, Huntington spent six years teaching, traveling, and exploring in Asia, where he conducted fieldwork in some of the most desolate and inhospitable deserts ...