THE, FIRST CENTURY OF THE CONNECTICUT 

 ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



An Historical Address delivered before the Academy at its Centennial 

 Anniversary, on October 11th, 1899. 



By Simeon E. Baldwin, LL.D. 



American science, and perhaps we may say American letters, 

 first began to take shape in the latter half of the eighteenth 

 century. Franklin was easily the first in each. One is almost 

 tempted to declare that he was the iirst American who wrote 

 good English : it is certainly safe to say that he was the first 

 whose style of composition had a distinct and lasting charm. 

 This gave wings to his scientific discoveries and conclusions, 

 and made him a citizen of the world. 



It was natural that he should take the lead in introducing 

 upon our continent the learned academy. 



The American Philosophical Society sprang from his creative 

 touch, and had its first beginnings at Philadelphia in 1744. Bos- 

 ton followed in 1780 with the American Academy of Arts and 

 Sciences, and the list for the century was closed at New Haven 

 with the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1799.* 



It is seldom that anything enduring is originally constituted in 

 the form and manner which subsequently mark its character. 



In laying the foundations of the oldest of the societies which I 

 have named, which was in 1743, it was Franklin's aim to bring 

 into association all who had any reputation for scientific attain- 

 ments in the different colonies. While an organization was 

 effected in 1744, no one came in, outside of Pennsylvania, New 

 York and New Jersey, and after a languishing existence of a 

 quarter of a century it was merged with a local society of Phila- 



* An association called "The Society for Promoting Useful Knowledge" 

 existed in the city of New York in 1792, which met monthly ; but it was not 

 incorporated. Morse's American Geography, ed. of 1792, 265. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. IX. 



