Good Observers of Nature: American Women and the Scientific Study of the Natural World, 1820-1885

231 Pages·2007·2.195 MB·English

by  Tina Gianquitto

“Good Observers of Nature”
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“Good Observers of Nature”
American Women
and the Scientific Study
of the Natural World, 1820–1885
tina gianquitto
TheUniversityofGeorgiaPress
Athens&London
©2007bytheUniversityofGeorgiaPress
Athens,Georgia30602
Allrightsreserved
Setin11/14AdobeGaramondbyBookComp,Inc.
PrintedandboundbyMaple-Vail
Thepaperinthisbookmeetstheguidelinesfor
permanenceanddurabilityoftheCommitteeon
ProductionGuidelinesforBookLongevityofthe
CouncilonLibraryResources.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
11 10 09 08 07 c 5 4 3 2 1
11 10 09 08 07 p 5 4 3 2 1
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Gianquitto,Tina.
Goodobserversofnature:Americanwomenand
thescientificstudyofthenaturalworld,1820–1885/
TinaGianquitto.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn-13:978-0-8203-2918-5(hardcover:alk.paper)
isbn-10:0-8203-2918-5(hardcover:alk.paper)
isbn-13:978-0-8203-2919-2(pbk.:alk.paper)
isbn-10:0-8203-2919-3(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Womennaturalists—UnitedStates—History—
19thcentury. 2.Womenbotanists—United
States—History—19thcentury. 3.Naturalhistory—
UnitedStates—History—19thcentury. 4.Naturein
literature—UnitedStates—History—19thcentury.
5.Botanyinliterature—UnitedStates—History—
19thcentury. I.Title.
qh26.g532007
508.092'273—dc22 2006039279
BritishLibraryCataloging-in-PublicationDataavailable
“Whenyoursoulisutterlywearywithshakinghandswithpretence,
andconversingwithmake-believes,youtoowillbeready
forsuchaplungeintothewilderness.”
ElizabethWright,LichenTuftsoftheAlleghenies (1860)
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contents
ListofIllustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction.TheLanguagesofNature:AnOverview 1
1. Botany’sBeautifulArrangement:AlmiraPhelpsand
EnlightenmentScience 15
2. ThePressureofHiddenCauses:MargaretFullerand
RomanticScience 57
3. TheNobleDesignsofNature:SusanFenimoreCooper,
NaturalScience,andthePicturesqueAesthetic 100
4. Spiders,Ants,andCarnivorousPlants:MaryTreatand
EvolutionaryScience 136
Epilogue.HumanHomesinNature’sHousehold:
TheEmergenceofaConservationEthic 177
Notes 181
Bibliography 197
Index 213
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illustrations
1. Daisy 23
2. StamensandPistils 44
3. TableRock,circa1842 69
4. TheInsectMenagerie 147
5. BurrowoftheTarantulaturricula 150
6. FemaleSpiderwithYoung 151
7. Zephyranthestreatiae 156
8. Lobeliafeayana 157
{ix}