Patriot-improvers: 1743-1768When Benjamin Franklin adopted John Bartram's 1739 idea of bringing together the "virtuosi" of the colonies to promote inquiries into "natural secrets, arts and syances," the result was, in 1743, the founding of the American Philosophical Society. Bell records the early years of the Society through sketches of its first members, those elected between 1743 and 1769. This volume includes biographies of some of the Society's best known members such as Franklin, David Rittenhouse, John Bartram, Benjamin Rush, John Dickinson, Thomas Hopkinson and many lesser known merchants, artisans, farmers, physicians, lawyers and clergymen with familiar surnames such as Biddle, Colden, and Morris. Illustrations. |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexander Alison Amer American Philosophical Society American Society appointed April Arch Assembly attended Bard Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Rush Biddle Bond Boston British Cadwallader Colden Charles Thomson Charles Willson Peale Chester County Church Clymer Colden Papers College Collinson Colls colonies committee Congress CORRESPONDING MEMBER Council County daughter Delaware Dickinson died Dixon elected Eliot England Evans father Franklin Papers Friends George governor Henry Hist History Ibid Isaac James Jeremiah Dixon Jersey John Bartram Joseph July June Lancey later letter Library Company London March married Mason merchant Mifflin Minutes Mitchell Morgan Morris named observations Odell Penn Pennsylvania Hospital persons Peter Phila Philadelphia Monthly Meeting physician Physick plants PMHB political Powel president proposed Quaker Robert Royal Society Samuel sent Simitière Smith Society's Street Tennent Thomas Thomas Penn tion Transit of Venus Virginia Washington William William Bartram wrote York young
Popular passages
Page 230 - Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment ; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
Page 5 - ... or inland countries; course and junction of rivers and great roads, situation of lakes and mountains, nature of the soil, and productions...
Page 210 - Will is now nineteen years of age, a tall, proper youth, and much of a beau. He acquired a habit of idleness on the Expedition ; but begins of late to apply himself to business, and I hope will become an industrious man. He imagined his father had got enough for him, but I have assured him that I intend to spend what little I have myself, if it please God that I live long enough ; and as he by no means wants acuteness, he can see by my going on that I mean to be as good as my word.
Page 303 - To extend Mason and Dixon's Line due West five degrees of "Longitude, to be computed from the river Delaware, for the "southern boundary of Pennsylvania, and that a meridian "drawn from the western extremity thereof, to the northern "limit of the said State, be the western boundary of Penn"sylvania forever.
Page 5 - And all philosophical experiments that let light into the nature of things, tend to increase the power of man over matter, and multiply the conveniences or pleasures of life.
Page 212 - The whole of this business has been transacted in so private a manner that not a tittle of it escaped until it was seen in the public papers; so that there was no opportunity of counteracting, or, indeed, doing one single thing that might put a stop to this shameful aflkir. I make no doubt but the people of New Jersey will make some remonstrance upon this indignity put upon them.
Page 4 - The first drudgery of settling new colonies, which confines the attention of people to mere necessaries, is now pretty well over; and there are many in every province in circumstances, that set them at ease, and afford leisure to cultivate the finer arts, and improve the common stock of knowledge.
Page 59 - Is it really so? Surely John is a worthy man ; but yet to give the title of King's Botanist to a man who can scarcely spell, much less make out the characters of any one genus of plants, appears rather hyperbolical.
Page 4 - Inconvenience for the future, proposed. That One Society be formed of Virtuosi or ingenious Men residing in the several Colonies, to be called The American Philosophical Society; who are to maintain a constant Correspondence. That Philadelphia being the City nearest the Centre of the Continent-Colonies, communicating with all of them northward and southward by Post, and with all the Islands by Sea, and having the Advantage of a good growing Library, be the Centre of the Society.
Page 4 - But as from the extent of the country such persons are widely separated, and seldom can see and converse or be acquainted with each other, so that many useful particulars remain uncommunicated, die with the discoverers, and are lost to mankind; it is, to remedy this inconvenience for the future, proposed: That one society be formed of virtuosi or ingenious men residing in the several colonies, to be called The American Philosophical Society, who are to maintain a constant correspondence.