260 Literary and Scientific Associations. 



David RiTTENHOUSE,andTHOMAs Jefferson. The 

 American Academy of Arts and Sciences ,he\d at Bos- 

 ton, was established in May, 1780, by the council 

 and house of representatives of Massachusetts, 

 • c for promoting the knowledge of the antiquities of 

 America, and of the natural history of the country; 

 for determining the uses to which its various 

 natural productions might be applied; for encou- 

 raging medicinal discoveries, mathematical disqui- 

 sitions, philosophical inquiries and experiments, 

 astronomical, meteorological, and geographical ob- 

 servations, and improvements in agriculture, manu- 

 factures and commerce; and, in short, for cultivat- 

 ing every art and science which may tend to ad- 

 vance the interest, honour, dignity and happiness 

 of a free, independent, and virtuous people." This 

 Academy has published one quarto volume of its 

 transactions, and several parts of a second, which 

 will probably soon be completed. The contents 

 of its respective publications afford a very honour- 

 able specimen of learning and diligence in the mem- 

 bers, and furnish ground for expectations of still 

 greater utility. The gentlemen who have presided 

 over this association are James Bowdoin and 

 John Adams. The Connecticut Academy of Arts 

 and Sciences was formed in 1799, at New- Haven, 

 " for the purpose of encouraging literary and phi- 

 losophical researches in general, and particularly 

 for investigating the natural history of that State." 

 This society has existed so short a time, that no 

 publication of its proceedings of any extent could 

 yet be reasonably expected. The gentleman first 

 elected president, and who yet remains in that 

 office, is the Rev. Dr. Timothy Dwight, presi- 

 dent of Yale College. 



2. Historical Society. The only association of 

 this kind in the United States is in Massachusetts. 

 It was instituted in the beginning of the year 1791, 



