The Natural Sciences and American Scientists in the Revolutionary Era

Book excerpt: The years 1760 to 1789 mark the political birth of the United States; simultaneously, an emancipation of American scientific endeavor from the influence of England and Europe was taking place. This is especially evident in the area of natural sciences--the growing frontiers and population of America opened up vast areas to scientific scrutiny. This extensive bibliography commemorates the scholarship that was published in many forms by and about Revolutionary American science from 1760 through the twentieth century. Part one of Katalin Harkanyi's work provides an overview of the natural sciences in the Revolutionary Era. Comprehensive and general sources are listed in the fields of natural history (botany, zoology, agriculture, and geology), natural philosophy (mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, surveying, engineering, and architecture), and medicine (dentistry, pharmacology, and veterinary medicine). Included are journals, documents, biographies, bibliographies, histories, orations, and even travel journals and diaries which create a framework for the study of Revolutionary American science. The second part of this bibliography is devoted to the scientists themselves: the men and women who wrote partial or specific scientific studies. This section of the book shows that these early Americans were capable of remarkable investigations into the natural world, rivaling their European contemporaries. Here are listed the scientists, their extant monographic works, and studies written about them from their age into the twentieth century. Appendices include scientific firsts and special achievements of Revolutionary Americans and a list of scientists arranged by discipline. This book will be a useful guide for historians and scientists, as well as inquiring general readers, who want to know more about the early growth of American science.