Science, Race, and Religion in the American South : John Bachman and the Charleston Circle of Naturalists, 1815-1895

In the decades before the Civil War, Charleston, South Carolina, enjoyed recognition as the center of scientific activity in the South. By 1850, only three other cities in the United States—Philadelphia, Boston, and New York—exceeded Charleston in natural history studies, and the city boasted an excellent museum of natural history. Examining the scientific activities and contributions of John Bachman, Edmund Ravenel, John Edwards Holbrook, Lewis R. Gibbes, Francis S. Holmes, and John McCrady, Lester Stephens uncovers the important achievements of Charleston's circle of naturalists in a region that has conventionally been dismissed as largely devoid of scientific interests. Stephens devotes particular attention to the special problems faced by the Charleston naturalists and to the ways in which their religious and racial beliefs interacted with and shaped their scientific pursuits. In the end, he shows, cultural commitments proved stronger than scientific principles. When the South seceded from the Union in 1861, the members of the Charleston circle placed regional patriotism above science and union and supported the Confederate cause. The ensuing war had a devastating impact on the Charleston naturalists—and on science in the South. The Charleston circle never fully recovered from the blow, and a century would elapse before the South took an equal role in the pursuit of mainstream scientific research. In the decades before the Civil War, Charleston, South Carolina, enjoyed recognition as the center of scientific activity in the South. By 1850, only three other cities in the United States--Philadelphia, Boston, and New York--exceeded Charleston in natural history studies, and the city boasted an excellent museum of natural history. This book examines the scientific activities and contributions of six Charleston naturalists: John Bachman, Edmund Ravenel, John Edwards Holbrook, Lewis R. Gibbes, Francis S. Holmes, and John McCrady. Bound together in spirit by their devotion to southern culture, their commitment to advancing science in their city and region, and their interest in natural history, the Charleston circle constituted a dynamic community of productive, respected scientists in a region that conventionally has been dismissed as largely devoid of scientific interests.In telling the story of the Charleston naturalists, Lester Stephens details their scientific contributions and explores the regional circumstances that hindered their work. He pays particular attention to the ways in which their religious and racial beliefs interacted with and shaped their scientific pursuits. John Bachman's example provides an especially compelling illustration of the tension between these two forces. The unofficial leader of the Charleston circle, Bachman was a Lutheran clergyman and an authority on North American mammals. He was also an advocate of the unity of all human races, applying scientific principles to support his argument that all people are of one species. "In the decades before the Civil War, Charleston, South Carolina, enjoyed recognition as the center of scientific activity in the South. This book examines the scientific activities and contributions of six Charleston naturalists: John Bachman, Edmund Ravenel, John Edwards Holbrook, Lewis R. Gibbes, Francis S. Holmes, and John McCrady. Bound together in spirit by their devotion to southern culture, their commitment to advancing science in their city and region, and their interest in natural history, the Charleston circle constituted a dynamic community of productive, respected scientists in a region that conventionally has been dismissed as largely devoid of scientific interests."--BOOK JACKET. Examining the scientific activities and contributions of the members of the Charleston's circle of naturalists, this text pays attention to the problems faced by the group and the ways in which their religious and racial beliefs interacted with and shaped their scientific pursuits