American geologists and their geology: The formation of the American geological community, 1780-1865

Geologists created the first disciplinary community among American scientists. Their efforts during the antebellum period established patterns and relationships that helped to shape American science throughout the nineteenth and into the twentieth century. The completeness and diversity of American rock formations provided geologists with an unparalleled range of data with which to evaluate theories developed in Europe and formulate new ones. Keenly aware of their privileged position, American geologists worked hard to maintain their intellectual autonomy, asserting their right to participate as full partners in international geological debates. They defined geology, first and foremost, as a field science--emphasizing the study of rocks in situ and training through hands-on, outdoor apprenticeships.;The unique American social and political context both facilitated and complicated the formation of a geological community. Interest in exploiting the new nation's natural resources allowed geologists to develop careers not only as teachers, but as survey geologists and mining consultants. The widespread belief that science was both intellectually and spiritually uplifting created additional opportunities for some geologists as authors and public lecturers. Simultaneously, however, sectional tensions and the sheer vastness of America undermined attempts to create national scientific journals and societies. The formation of the American geological community involved a series of balancing acts: cooperating with European scientists without giving up intellectual independence; recognizing the work of individuals without creating endless priority disputes; and producing the "useful" knowledge that ensured funding without losing sight of broader theoretical concerns.;American geologists succeeded, by the late 1850s, in reducing many of these tensions. They had established distinctive career and educational paths, unique research programs, and outlets for their work in societies, journals, and government reports. James Dwight Dana's 1863 Manual of Geology, embodying the work and attitudes of many American geologists, marked the coming of age of a community capable of weathering the disruption of the Civil War and of playing a major role in the post-war restructuring of American science.