Sunday, July 21, 2013

Land As a Historical Legacy

Land is indeed a historical legacy as it signifies the heritage from the past. Land has always been the major cause of wars among nations as it represents power. Its possession is highly esteemed since it entails a propagation of one's values, culture and religion through control of land Thus land has acquired historical legacy as it has been conquered by different people.

With the historical aspect to land its value only increases. People also buy land according to its historical value. Land is protected too and considered as national sites by governments to preserve its historical legacy. America was discovered by Christopher Columbus and the vast territory of the country has been subject to conflicts and wars with the Indians in the past. It can be said that land has a memory of its own. The state of Washington for example is named after General Washington who was commander in chief in 1770's in military campaigns for American Revolution. Since many battles have been fought and many lives lost to achieve Declaration of Independence, land's value has soared dramatically.

America has made the nation by an act of their own free will to liberate themselves from British colony. The aggregate area under the sovereignty of the jurisdiction of the united state is 9, 06500 km. Thus, this vast area has an ancient heritage of struggle and desire for freedom. Land in America is symbolical of liberty and if one owns land it is even more valuable. The history of America is one denoting autonomy and freedom from bondage. Visionaries found in this land a place for virtuous life to help the oppressed of all lands. People across the world still view America as a land where they can fulfill their wishes. This is also known as the American Dream. This intrinsic concept of land as liberty has appreciated its value. Immigration to America is one of the great migrations of human history. Thus, the land was highly prized and still is. Land is mostly needed for production and the limited portion is filled with people in crowded cities like New York and Los Angeles.

In the past, the American Indians have occupied almost the entire landscape of North and South America. Since their economy was mostly based on intensive cultivation of domestic plants, this has safeguarded land from pollution and destruction. Land was not used for industrial purposes by these people. They principally lived on farming before European contact. Precisely because land is a precious natural asset, many battles have also been fought to appropriate the plains and acquisition of territory in North America. Although land was frequently obtained through agreement, force was also used. The Anglo-American campaign against the Indians had a momentous effect on land expansion as these lands were needed for widening plantations. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act called for the transfer of all Indians east of Mississippi to lands west of river. In 1900's, an Act allowed president of U.S to parcel tribal land called allotments. It was a mechanism to acquire more Indian land Thus we can see that land is at the center of much conflict as it cannot be dissociated from its historical side which only highlights its worth.

Land represents its people, customs and above all its history. Whenever people buy land they are eager to know about its history so as to live in harmony. The past defines the nature of the land Without history, a land is barren. So, by preserving land history is perpetrated and along with it the financial value of terrain.

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