An Anthology of Nineteenth-century American Science Writing

by Resetarits, C. R.

• ISBN13: 9780857289742
• ISBN10: 0857289748
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-03-01
• Publisher: Anthem Pr

Summary

This volume is a brief anthology of the most influential writing by American scientists between 1800 and 1900. Arranged thematically and chronologically to highlight the progression of American science throughout the nineteenth century - from its beginnings in self-taught classification and exploration to the movement towards university education and specialization - it is the first collection of its kind. Each section begins with a biography, putting human faces to each time period, and introducing such notable figures as Thomas Jefferson and Louis Agassiz.

Author Biography

C. R. Resetarits is a creative writer and essayist whose work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. Her interests in nineteenth-century American studies and natural history have combined to bring about the current anthology.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
1800-1846 Naturals and Naturalists
Introduction	p. 3
"A Memoir on the Discovery of Certain Bones of a Quadruped of the Clawed Kind in the Western Parts of Virginia," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (1799)	p. 13
"Pileated Woodpecker," American Ornithology; or the Natural History of the Birds of the United States (1801)	p. 23
"Currents," The New American Practical Navigator (1802)	p. 28
"Account of a North American Quadruped, supposed to belong to the Genus Ovis, Rocky-Mountain Sheep, Ovis Montana," Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1817)	p. 31
"A Monograph of North American insects, of the genus Cincindela" (excerpt), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (1818)	p. 36
"On the Genus Ocythoe," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (1819)	p. 37
"Preface," American Entomology, or Descriptions of the Insects of North America (1824-28)	p. 40
"Preface" (excerpt), The Genera of North American Plants and a Catalogue of the Species, to the Year 1817 (1818)	p. 43
"Pileated Woodpecker," Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and Canada (1832)	p. 44
"Introduction," Ichthyologia ohiensis, or natural history of the fishes inhabiting the river Ohio and its tributary streams (1820)	p. 48
"Notices of Materia Medica, or new medical properties of some American Plants," Western Minerva or, American Annals of Knowledge and Literature (1820)	p. 50
"Passenger Pigeon," Ornithological Biography (1831)	p. 54
"On the Production of Currents and Sparks of Electricity from Magnetism," American Journal of Science and Arts (July 1832)	p. 61
"The Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever" (excerpts), New England Quarterly Journal of Medicine (1843)	p. 67
"On the Two Storms Which Were Experienced throughout the United States, in the Month of February, 1842" (excerpt), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (1845)	p. 73
1846-1876 Warriors
Introduction	p. 81
"On the Fossil Horses of America," Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1847)	p. 94
"A Flora and Fauna Within Living Animals" (excerpt), Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge (1853)	p. 98
"Examination of the Radiations of Red-Hot Bodies. The Production of Light by Heat" (excerpt), American Journal of Science and Arts (1847)	p. 110
"Section IX: Range of the Geographical Distribution of Animals," Essay on Classification (1857)	p. 118
"On the Origin of Species" (excerpt), American Journal of Science (1860)	p. 123
"Darwin on the Origin of Species," Atlantic Monthly (1860)	p. 126
"Sequoia and Its History" (excerpt), American Naturalist (1872)	p. 134
"On the Origin of the Geographical Distribution of Crustacea" (excerpt), Annals and Magazine of Natural History (1856)	p. 146
"On Cephalization" (excerpt), New Englander (1863)	p. 153
"On some Results of the Earth's Contraction from cooling, including a discussion of the Origin of Mountains, and the nature of the Earth's Interior" (excerpt), American Journal of Science (1873)	p. 155
"On Comets and Meteors," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society (1869)	p. 159
"Linear Associative Algebra," A Memoir read before the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, 1870 (excerpt), American Journal of Mathematics (1881)	p. 167
"The Laws of Organic Development" (excerpt), American Naturalist (1871)	p. 172
"Fossil Horses in America," American Naturalist (1874)	p. 177
"Odontornithes, or Birds with Teeth," American Naturalist (1875)	p. 183
"The Genesis of Species" (excerpt), North American Review (1871)	p. 192
1876-1900 Scientists
Introduction	p. 201
"The Fixation of Belief" (excerpt), Popular Science Monthly (1877)	p. 210
"How to Make Our Ideas Clear" (excerpt), Popular Science Monthly (1878)	p. 212
"Catastrophism and Evolution" (excerpt), The American Naturalist (1877)	p. 220
"The Spectrum of an Argand Burner," Science (1883)	p. 230
"The New Astronomy. I. Spots on the Sun" (excerpt), The Century (1885)	p. 233
"Screw," Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 21, 9th edition (1875-1889)	p. 237
"On the Relative Motion of the Earth and the Luminiferous Ether," American Journal of Science (1887)	p. 244
"The Lake as a Microcosm" (excerpt), Bulletin of the Peoria Scientific Association (1887)	p. 255
"Laws of Temperature Control of the Geographic Distribution of Terrestrial Animals and Plants," National Geographic Magazine (1894)	p. 267
"The Ecological Relations of the Vegetation on the Sand Dunes of Lake Michigan" (excerpt), Botanical Gazette (1899)	p. 277
"On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances, abstract," American Journal of Science and Arts (1878)	p. 285
Bibliography	p. 303
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