Rebirth of the American Philosophical Society

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Rebirth of the American Philosophical Society

A Tale of Two Societies. Shortly after the Stamp Act unrest in 1765, a group of Philadelphians revived the idea of Benjamin Franklin’s famous “junto,” a gathering of artisans and gentlemen interested in all aspects of natural philosophy. The American Society, as the new association was called, emphasized the application of science to economic improvement—agriculture, navigation, industry—in the American colonies. At about the same time another group in the same city proposed reviving the American Philosophical Society, which Franklin had founded in 1743 but which had languished in inactivity. Neither society had intended to compete with the other, but they soon found themselves rivals. Both aspired to become great scientific societies and were at the same stage of development. Each society embarked on aggressive membership drives, especially for political allies. The Philosophical Society courted Pennsylvania’s executive faction, and when Gov. John Penn became a patron of the society, the members easily got permission to hold their meetings in the State House (for free) while their rivals were forced to rent space elsewhere. Sensing its strength, the Philosophical Society tried to amalgamate the American Society by electing its members en masse to the Philosophical Society. American Society members regarded the Philosophical Society’s attempt at unification as a highhanded and hostile takeover, and the competition continued.

Playing to the Public. As it happened, competition had positive side effects, for it brought issues of science and its pursuit in America to public attention. In order to attract interested candidates the rival societies printed essays on science and technology in Philadelphia’s newspapers. The papers also advertized membership drives. Predictably the newspapers championing one society or the other were rivals too; the Philosophical Society regularly used the Pennsylvania Chronicle while the American Society favored the Pennsylvania Gazette. Anyone comparing newspapers would soon discover that the two societies were not clones by any means. The Philosophical Society sought to advance theoretical knowledge in the tradition of the prestigious Royal Society and accordingly attracted more of the elite. The more technology-minded American Society tended to get a greater share of merchants, artisans, and professionals, especially physicians. In January 1768 the Philosophical Society reprinted Franklin’s original proposal of 1743 in the Pennsylvania Chronicle as a statement of its objectives as well as an obvious attempt to co-opt the image of their famous founder. The American Society fought back by showcasing articles on American natural history, inventions, wine production, and other patriotic subjects, such as Lionel Chalmers’ observations on South Carolina weather and its medical effects. The 1769 transit of Venus gave the Philosophical Society, always less impressed with gadgets or inventions, a tremendous boost over its rival. The much anticipated and publicized event played to the Philosophical Society’s decided advantage in astronomical knowledge; its members used public enthusiasm over the celestial phenomenon to successfully raise money for expensive observation equipment. (The colonial legislature eventually raised £200 of public money). The American Society was unable to match the deeper pockets of the Philosophical Society, but it scored heavily in November 1768 when its members persuaded Benjamin Franklin to be their president.

E Duo, Unum. By the end of the year, however, members of the two societies wished to stop the feud and voted to negotiate a union. Committees settled major differences, and on 20 December each society met and agreed to the terms of the union. Membership lists were exchanged, and the first meeting of the united society occurred on 2 January 1769. The members adopted the cumbersome hybrid title of the American Philosophical Society, Held at Philadelphia, for Promoting Useful Knowledge, but in practice it was always shortened to the American Philosophical Society, the name it retains today. In the election for officers that followed, Franklin was confirmed as president, a position he held until his death in 1790. His election was a good move: Franklin was internationally known, and his prestige gave the new American Philosophical Society instant credibility (the French referred to it as “Franklin’s Society”). With broader membership and proven fund-raising skills, the American Philosophical Society set about the important work of publishing the first volume of its journal, Transactions, in 1771, which was enthusiastically received in Europe and “much sought after by the Literati in London.” Franklin’s dream of a distinguished American scientific society had finally come to pass.

JEFFRIES’S HIGH-ALTITUDE EXPERIMENTS

John Jeffries’s balloon flights were not mere joy-rides; on his first ascent he took with him a carefully selected array of instruments, intending to collect scientific data, the first attempt of its kind. He brought a thermometer and a barometer for measuring temperature and air pressure at different heights, a hygrometer for humidity, and an “electrometer,” apparently an experimental device for measuring atmospheric electricity. Additionally he brought a telescope, a compass, ribbons to throw out to help determine his flight direction and speed, and six four-ounce bottles filled with distilled water. The bottles were to be emptied and then stoppered at various heights to obtain air samples for chemical analysis. During the flight the electrometer proved useless, Jeffries reporting that he “could never discover it to be affected.” Nevertheless Jeffries made twelve observations of temperature, air pressure, and humidity up to a height of 9,309 feet above sea level, and the data he collected agrees closely with that obtained from modern observations.

Source: Mary Beth Norton, “America’s First Aeronaut: Dr. John Jeffries,” History Today, 18 (October 1968): 722-729.