Bartram's Travels
William Bartram (1739-1823)
Travels through North &
South Carolina,
Georgia, East & West Florida.
Philadelphia, 1791.
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Pioneer naturalist William Bartram discovered many
new species of native plants and birds during his trip through
the southeastern wilderness from 1773-1777. With an artful balance
of science and poetry, Bartram described the profusion of natural
beauty he encountered in his Travels. Believing that
civilized man could learn much from studying the Native Americans'
relationship to nature, he carefully recorded details about Indian
history, religion, and customs that revealed the complexity of
their culture and innate virtues. Although received with initial
indifference in the U. S., Travels was embraced abroad,
with nine European editions in six different languages. Bartram's
lyrical prose later influenced the writings of Coleridge, Wordsworth,
Emerson, and Thoreau.
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