Promotional Information

This is an exemplary study of the interconnections between the making of geological knowledge and the creation of a prosperous community of politicians, painters, writers, and men of science in New York State during the early national period. In pulling together many scientific and artistic threads, David Spanagel has woven a rich and colorful tapestry. This imaginative book will be an important contribution to a number of scholarly fields, including the history of geology, studies of American science, and the cultural and intellectual history of nineteenth-century America. -- Paul Lucier, author of Scientists and Swindlers: Consulting on Coal and Oil in America, 1820-1890

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables
Preamble
Introduction
Part I
1. Invitations to Study the Earth's Past
2. Natural Sciences and Civic Virtues
3. The Landlord and the Ex-convict
Part II
4. Clinton's Ditch
5. Eaton's Agricultural and Geological Surveys
6. Empire State Exports
Part III
7. Literary Naturalists
8. Kindred Spirits
9. Rocks, Reverence, and Religion
Conclusion
Notes
Essay on Sources
Index

About the Author

David I. Spanagel teaches history at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.

Reviews

A significant contribution to our current understanding of the history of science between the first scientific revolution of the early modern period and the emergence of modern, professionalized science... Provocative and compelling. -- Sara S. Gronim American Historical Review David Spanagel's DeWitt Clinton and Amos Eaton provides the reader with a fresh exploration of the early American republic... Here is a volume chock full of good ideas and evocative questions. -- Rodney L. Stiling Endeavour A compelling story of the intersections between science and politics in the early decades of the nineteenth century... -- Thomas Allen The Journal of American History