Letters from an American Botanist: The Correspondences of Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Mühlenberg (1753–1815)

The Lutheran Pastor Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Mühlenberg (1753–1815) is remembered today as one of the pioneering figures in early American botany, which earned him the posthumous epithet "The American Linnaeus". This study traces Mühlenberg's contributions to American botany by reconstructing his vast transatlantic correspondence network over a period of more than 30 years. Working on the tenets of modern network studies and with information gathered from close to 700 original letters, diaries and publications, the present study places Mühlenberg both within his own web of correspondences and within the botanical discourse of his time. The result is a multi-faceted depiction of contemporary standards, codes and pitfalls of scientific communication in the so-called "Republic of Letters". As Mühlenberg's example shows, the very fabric of this Republic – open exchange of information – had a strong impact on the course and outcome of scientific research itself. This "Network Factor" becomes clearly visible in Mühlenberg's networking strategies, which he developed to protect his original work against the negative effects of the very medium he was working with. TABLE OF CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION II LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS III NETWORKS AND HISTORY 1. NETWORK THEORY BASICS 2. APPLICATIONS – ROSENTHAL ET AL., GOULD AND BEARMAN 3. A CRITIQUE 4. AIMS AND METHODOLOGY – THE PLURALITY OF MÜHLENBERG’S NETWORK IV A PRELUDE – MÜHLENBERG’S CORRESPONDENCES FROM 1771 TO 1784 1 THE LUTHERAN CONTEXT 2. THE FAMILY CONTEXT 3 THE SCIENTIFIC CONTEXT – THE RESPUBLICA LITTERARIA V. LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN BOTANIST 1 CONFEDERATE BOTANY (PHASE 1: JANUARY 1784 TO DECEMBER 1789) 2 TRANSATLANTIC BOTANY (PHASE 2: JANUARY 1790 TO MAY 1797) 3. A NETWORK IN TRANSITION (PHASE 3: JUNE 1797 TO JANUARY 1802) 4 NETWORK STRATEGIES (PHASE 4: JANUARY 1802 TO AUGUST 1805) 5 AN AMERICAN NETWORK (PHASE 5: OCTOBER 1805 – JANUARY 1811) 6 TOWARDS BOTANICAL INDEPENDENCE (PHASE 6: JANUARY 1811 TO MAY 1815) VI CONCLUSION VII APPENDICES 1. APPENDIX A: FLOW CHARTS 2. APPENDIX B: TABLES 3. APPENDIX C: LISTS OF CORRESPONDENCES 4. APPENDIX D: EXCHANGE CHARTS 5. APPENDIX E: NETWORKS 6. NETWORK DOCUMENTATION VIII BIBLIOGRAPHY IX REGISTER OF PERSONS X REGISTER OF PLACES