A century of science in America

"A Century of Science in America" by Edward Salisbury Dana and others is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The work commemorates the centenary of the American Journal of Science, which was founded by Benjamin Silliman in 1818. It explores the progress and development of various scientific disciplines in America over the preceding century, reflecting on how these advancements are documented in the Journal. The opening of this volume outlines the legacy that established the Mrs. Hepsa Ely Silliman Memorial Lectures at Yale University, detailing the intent behind these lectures to illustrate God's presence as revealed through nature and history, while strictly avoiding dogmatic theology. It emphasizes early scientific literature's limited scope in the 19th century and introduces Benjamin Silliman's role in founding the Journal, which successfully provided a platform for scientific dissemination in the United States. This introduction lays the groundwork for discussing the broader scientific developments achieved since the Journal’s inception, highlighting the cumulative impact of various scientific investigations that have significantly shaped American science by 1918.

A century of science in America, from the public domain. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #73605.