Picture yourself, sitting in the spine-chilling examination chair at the eye doctor, with the intent to receive eyeglasses or contact lenses. The doctor's purpose is to know which pair of lens is best tailored to your vision. And so, the eye doctor brings down the phoropter and shows you different sets of lenses, going through so many trials such that you are able to narrow the set down to two pairs. In the end, however, only one lens will be of the most use to you, and that is the one that you will most definitely choose and purchase. In the same way, the lens of nature shows to be the useful lens to use while considering American history. To clarify, the concept of nature itself is the reality of the physical world and its control coming from the Creator of nature, as believed by the colonies historically. Through the use of nature as a lens, Fiege attempts to show the average reader that nature is the sole and final determinant of human history. Furthermore, it is essentially useful to use the lens of nature in analyzing American history because it provides a fundamental viewpoint in which the reader can simply comprehend the cause and effects of history. Specifically, the essential subcategories of nature to use as lenses include physiological nature and human nature, which are shown in Fiege's chapters "Satan in the Land," "King Cotton," and "Nature's Nobleman.".
To begin with, the concept of nature needs to be defined. Fundamentally, Fiege defines nature as the matter, energy, and forces that constitute the universe and compose all life. However, in a more general aspect, he also defines it as the omnipresent substance of reality. One should most definitely consider the physiological nature when it comes to nature, such as the great processes and life forms that make this world the world that it is. However, one should also consider the human nature that constitute a part of nature as well.