Description
Book SynopsisKnown to today's biologists primarily as the “Michx”, at the end of more than 700 plant names, Andre Michaux was an intrepid French naturalist. Straddling the fields of documentary editing, history of the early republic, history of science, botany, and American studies, this book is the first complete English edition of Michaux's American journals.
Trade ReviewMichaux is fascinating [but] largely unknown. All of the available works on Michaux are valuable for scholars seeking to understand him as well as the early environment of the South. [Yet] all have limitations.. The present effort—translations with annotations - will remedy the lack of a solid edition of Michaux's work.. The editors have done an excellent job in gathering material and presenting their work." - Kathryn E. Holland Braund, author of
Tohopeka: Rethinking the Creek War and the War of 1812"
AndrÉ Michaux in North America brings together a wealth of material from the many worlds of early American natural history. This book is a massive undertaking, invaluable and sure to serve as a lasting resource on the transatlantic culture of scientific discovery." - Thomas Hallock, coeditor of
Travels on the St. Johns River: John Bartram and William Bartra "In 1785, the great French botanist was sent to America as the official representative of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to obtain plants, especially trees, of the New World for the King's garden at Versailles. In 1794, he climbed Grandfather Mountain and wrote in his journal, 'Reached the summit of the highest mountain in North America and with my companion and guide, sang the Marseillaise and shouted "Long Live America and the Republic of France, long live Liberty! To Michaux, it was the top of the visible world and the perfect place to celebrate the triumph of freedom. Michaux was fascinated by the surrounding forest array of unique flora. Michaux's personal relationships with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington helped imbue him with a love of independence." - Text on museum display panel at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina
Table of Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Foreword by James E. McClellan III
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction: Biographical Sketch
- Chapter 1. Arrival in New York, November 1785, and Relocation to Charleston, September 1786
- Chapter 2. Initial Journeys from Charleston, 1787
- Chapter 3. Exploring Florida, 1788
- Chapter 4. Exploring in the Carolinas, Georgia, and the Bahamas, 1788-1789
- Chapter 5. Charleston to New York, 1789
- Chapter 6. Charleston Interlude, 1790-1791
- Chapter 7. Journey to Canada, 1792
- Chapter 8. Journey into the Canadian Wilderness, 1792
- Chapter 9. Philadelphia, Western Expeditions Considered, 1793
- Chapter 10. Kentucky Journey for Genet, 1793
- Chapter 11. North Carolina Mountains, 1794
- Chapter 12. Journey West to the Mississippi River, 1795
- Chapter 13. Kaskaskia to Charleston, December 1795-April 1796
- Chapter 14. Charleston, Spring and Summer 1796
- Chapter 15. Return Voyage to France and Shipwreck, August 1796-January 1797
- Epilogue: Michaux's Last Years, 1797-1802
- Appendix: Plant and Animal Indexes
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
