Concluding remarks: American natural history and biology in the nineteenth century

Abstract

SYNOPSIS. This symposium has illustrated the important role that amateur naturalists played in preparing the groundwork for professional science in the west. Like their eastern counterparts, these naturalists popularized science to the public, created impressive collections of natural history artifacts, formed a network of fellow enthusiasts, and initiated the establishment of organizations and publications to further their interests. This heritage was critical to the development of the professional biology community in America and must be emphasized in the history of American biology in order to understand the unique development of the biology community in the United States. © 1986 by the American Society of Zoologists.