344 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN" INSTITUTION, 1912. 



The general interest and faith in science during the early history 

 of our country is well exemplified in the attitude of public men. 

 Our first two presidents, in spite of the fact that they differed greatly 

 in temperament and experience, showed more interest in scientific 

 \vork than almost any of their successors. Washington's training as 

 an explorer, surveyor, and planter and his close connection with the 

 beginnings of the iron industry is perhaps suflticient to account for 

 his attitude toward science. He is probably the only President who, 

 by his own efforts, attempted to advance applied science. While 

 President he started an investigation of the soils of the Eastern States 

 through personal correspondence. More important, however, was 

 the work of Jefferson, in bringing about the establishment of the 

 chair of chemistry at the University of Virginia, thereby introducing 

 scientific teaching into this country. He also discussed the mineral 

 resources of Virginia in his book on that Commonwealth, wrote, 

 while Vice President, geologic paper, and, above aU, inaugurated that 

 system of exploration and investigation of the trans-Mississippian region 

 which was to yield such fruitful results in the century to foUow. 

 John Adams, while he took no personal part in promoting scientific 

 research, manifested interest in it by helping to establish the American 

 Academy of Arts and Sciences. 



A review of the conditions which brought about the rapid growth 

 of geologic work in. this country during the first decades of the nine- 

 teenth century can not fail to consider the pohtical and industrial 

 situation. The War of 1812 had united as one nation the Common- 

 wealths which up to that time, in spite of the federation, had strong 

 centrifugal tendencies. During the war with Great Britain New 

 England had been on the verge of rebellion, while the trans-Appa- 

 lachian region was not held to the East b}^ any strong bonds. The 

 country, rent by domestic quarrels and the turmoil of opposing 

 political factions, paid small heed to the problems of industry and 

 commerce. 



After the war the people thought less about State rights and more 

 about industrial prosperity. There was no longer a French party or 

 an EngHsh party, but men of all pohtical faiths had come to the 

 conclusion that we must work out our own salvation. We had 

 learned to supply our own material needs during the war, when 

 Enghsh frigates cut off European sources of supply. In short, the 

 Nation had found itself and was ready to begin to harvest the re- 

 sources of the vast territory which the war had settled for all time 

 was to be our own. Our people, while possessing the self-confidence 

 of the pioneer, were facing new problems, and, guided by their sci- 

 entific instincts, turned to the scientist for help. 



In spite of the fact that the war had developed a relatively strongly 

 centrahzed Federal Government, yet our pohtical theory was still 



