"Dryer...cleverly shows...the American continents as a world ring, which has no barbarous heartland, as ready to come to the aid of the coastal races that stand for civilization in the world island." - Nature (1920)
"Dryer published a short article in 1920 which supplemented Mackinder's 'World Island' with an American 'World Ring' and ended on a troubling prophetic note: The American ring fence...is a world factor not to be overlooked." - American Literature Before 1880 (2003)
Did Halford Mackinder overinflate the importance of "the world island" and "the heartland" while neglecting the importance of the American continental encirclement of the world island, in his books "The Geographical Pivot of History" and "Democratic Ideals and Reality"?
In 1920, famous American geographer Charles Redway Dryer (1850-1927) published "Mackinder's World Island and Its American Satellite," a short 10-page work critical of Mackinder for neglecting the importance of the American continents and their effects on the world island.
Of course, famous British geographer Halford Mackinder was most famous for his quote:
"Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; Who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; Who rules the World Island commands the World."
In introducing his work Dryer writes that Mackinder "has found the master key to history in the age-long struggle between the barbarous 'Heartland' and the civilized coastlands of the 'World Island.' In dealing with conceptions of such scope and portent, perhaps it is not strange that he has failed to see the real significance of one factor, and that is America."
About the author:
Charles Redway Dryer was born in 1850 in New York and died in 1927. He was a physician and teacher of biology and physical science prior to teach geology and geography at the Indiana State Normal School (Terre Haute). He was a charter member of the Association of American Geographers. he urged the Humanizing of geography and the regional concept were among his core beliefs. He was the author of various geography works including his work "Mackinder's World Island and Its American Satellite," which was originally published in 1920 in New York, New York, United States.
