A Study On The Establishment And Early Actives Of The Smithsonian Institution (1836-1878)

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex;it is composed of 19 museums and galleries, one of the National Zoological Park and nine research centers. Initially, it was established with funds by an English scientist James Smithson. Although the site was chosen in America, the purpose was to increase and diffusion knowledge among men. Since then, the US congress has long debated on the issues of whether or not to accept the testament and how to use it from the year of 1836 to 1846. Finally, a compromise was reached in 1846. The Congress dominated to push the bill on establishing the Smithsonian Institution. However, in the episode in Joseph Henry’s tenure in the Institution(1846-1878), he has deep different opinions with the Congress on the nature and the development concept of the Institution. Henry has been trying to eliminate the Congress’ interferences on the Institution all the time, while financially he had to compromise on the demand of the Congress for founding the National Museum. Hence, the study on the early actives of the Smithsonian Institution is contributes to clarify the true reasons why the US Congress supported establishing the Smithsonian Institution. Then it can be understood more clearly about how the early-stage American science and technology was developed and how American National Character was formed.The thesis contains preface, text and epilogue.The introduction part introduces the ideological basis of the major topic, the research actuality and the normalization rules of some related concepts. Besides, the analysis angle, method and significance of the thesis have been illustrated in this part as well.The body part is divided into 6 chapters, which builds its basic framework with the establishment of Smithsonian’s will, the founding of the Institution and the development of its early actives.Chapter 1: This chapter, combined with the sources available, will sum up the historical process of the founding of the Smithsonian Institution by starting from introducing the historical background of the Enlightenment. Obviously, the reasons why Smithson donated his heritage to the United States are still unclear in academia circles. This chapter will try to figure out this problem. In addition, the U. S. Congress has been arguing about how to use the heritage for eight years. Though forces of the Congress don’t give way to each other on competing for the fund, they finally reacheda compromise under great pressure from the public. In August 1846, the Congress passed the bill of establishing the Smithsonian Institution.Chapter 2: Joseph Henry, the only internationally renowned scientist of the period,swept in the election to be the first Secretary with the help of one of his friends.Therefore, it was also called Henry’s period from the year 1846 to 1878. The actives of the Institution had strong individual characteristics at that time. A management crisis that Secretary dismissed Assistant Secretary exploded precisely because Henry’s aggressiveness and their different views on the development of the Institution. At last,the crisis was resolved under the intervention of the Congress, whereas the core status of Secretary was taken hold in that situation. This chapter will mainly try to reveal the special relationship between the Congress and the Institution by analyzing two events of the election of Secretary and the battle of the library.Chapter 3: In this chapter, the writer mainly tries to analyze the organizations and operation mode of the Institution. It is ruled in the bill that Secretary is in charge of the administrative affairs; however, in order to guarantee effective control of the Congress over the Institution, the board of regents of the Institution and executive committee were separately established. Moreover, Secretary arranged for two Assistant Secretaries to be responsible for the library and the museum. In the meantime, the unique management model has been formed in the institution. Chinese scholars generally summarized it as the model of Private-run and Government-subsidy.The chapter will focus on the analysis of this model.Chapter 4: Before Henry went to the post of Secretary, the board of regents of the Institution had passed the resolution of building “the Smithsonian Castle”, which was a fully functioning office building. The library and the museum, as the most representative affiliations in early time, occupied a huge space and fund. Their development has had a profound impact on the future of the Institution. There was no denying that their expansive development indeed reflected the requirement of the times. However, it greatly undermined the development plan which was made by Henry. This chapter will focus on the development of the library and the museum and reveal how the political elites made use of the Institution to pursue political purpose.Chapter 5: Early in Henry’s election, he worked out the guidelines which could be used to undertake actives. In the sight of Henry, the most effective way to increase and diffusion knowledge is to support original researches, the publication of academic achievements and the international exchange of publications. Meanwhile, it’s noteworthy that a series of scientific actives of the Institution has produced a widerange of social benefits. They brought positive impact on opening up the west and developing American agriculture as well as the Washington D.C. residents’ intellectual life and the shape of American National Character. It will be mainly argued about the relationship between the Institution’s actives and the progress of American social life in this chapter by studying the actives of the Institution in Henry’s period.Chapter 6: The main purpose of this chapter is to value the early actives of the Smithsonian Institution. In the 19 th century of America, science was not attached great importance in the society, and there was no unified organization in the science community. It was difficult for European scientists to touch upon American scholars’ scientific achievements. The emergence of the Smithsonian has changed this status to a great extent and provided scientific advisory on the issues of the civil war and the purchase of Alaska. Moreover, the Smithsonian established stable academic engagements with the great powers in science all over the world. It promoted international exchange of publications between China and America and has long been keeping friendly relationship with China.The closing section of the thesis will mainly discuss about whether the establishment and development of the Institution has betrayed Smithson’s original intention of the designation through comparing the Smithsonian Institution in the early time with that of the present. The thesis will fully explore the reference significance of the Institution’s impact on the development of learned societies of our country, improvement of the system of educational science research and the role of museum in education while summarizing the Institution in the early time.