Science in Nineteenth-Century America: A Documentary History

Combining well-chosen correspondence of scientists with historical commentary, Reingold brings to life the developing American scientific community of the nineteenth century. "The reader catches glimpses of William Maclure mixing science and social reform, of Joseph Henry struggling to make a place for research at the Smithsonian Institution, of Gray and Dana corresponding with Darwin, of Newcomb and Michelson planning experiments on the speed of light."—John C. Greene, Science

Nathan Reingold is editor of the Joseph Henry Papers at the Smithsonian Institution. Among his books is Science in America: A Documentary History, 1900-1939, also published by the University of Chicago Press.