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Annals of Science Volume 31, 1974 - Issue 5
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Original Articles

The American Philosophical Society and the rise of astronomy in the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century

Walter E. Gross Division of the Natural Environment, LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York, Long Island City, N.Y., 11101, U.S.A.
Pages 407-427 | Published online: 22 Aug 2006

  • For a succinct description of astronomy at this time, see de Vaucouleurs Gerard Discovery of the Universe New York 1957 115 148
  • Reingold , Nathan . 1964 . Science in Nineteenth Century America: A Documentary History 134 – 134 . New York
  • Reingold , Nathan . 1964 . Science in Nineteenth Century America: A Documentary History 135 – 135 . New York
  • Bell , Whitfield J. 1964 . Astronomical Observatories of the American Philosophical Society . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 108 : 7 – 7 .
  • Bell , Whitfield J. 1964 . Astronomical Observatories of the American Philosophical Society . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 108 : 8 – 8 .
  • Bell , Whitfield J. 1964 . Astronomical Observatories of the American Philosophical Society . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 108 : 9 – 10 .
  • Quoted in Bell Bell Whitfield J. Astronomical Observatories of the American Philosophical Society Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 1964 108 11 11
  • 1835 . Minute Books of the American Philosophical Society , March 20 hereafter cited as Minutes.
  • See Early Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society Phillips Henry Philadelphia 1884 672 672 I checked the American Philosophical Society Archives, but could find no mention of the ‘loose paper dated December, 1853’. The ‘blank page’ is in the Minutes, but is, of course, of no help to the historian.
  • 1836 . Minutes , June 17
  • 1836 . Journal of the Select Council, City of Philadelphia , November 24 The Journal is kept in the Archives of the City of Philadelphia.
  • 1836 . Journal of the Select Council, City of Philadelphia , November 28
  • 1837 . Journal of the Select Council, City of Philadelphia , March 21
  • 1839 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 7 ) : 94 – 94 .
  • 1840 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 14 ) : 299 – 299 .
  • 1841 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 16 ) : 8 – 8 .
  • Letter, Rümker to Alexander D. Bache, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1841 June 24
  • Resolution of June 25 American Philosophical Society Archives 1841
  • Letter, Samuel Breck to Robert M. Patterson, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1841 December 15
  • Letter, Robert M. Patterson to Samuel Breck, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1841 December 18
  • Letter, Robert M. Patterson to Samuel Breck, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1841 December 18
  • Letter, Samuel Breck to Robert M. Patterson, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1842 January 3
  • Letter, Edward Olmstead to Robert M. Patterson, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1842 June 28
  • Letter, Edward Olmstead to Robert M. Patterson, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1842 December 14
  • Letter, Robert M. Patterson to Sears C. Walker, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1842 December 15
  • Letter, Sears C. Walker to Edward Olmstead, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1843 January 2
  • Letter, Edward Olmstead to Sears C. Walker, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1843 January 5
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 4 ( 28 ) : 29 – 29 .
  • Letter, Anonymous American Philosophical Society, Archives 1842 July 22 There is no indication as to whom the letter was written.
  • Madansky , Charles . 1969 . The Central High School Observatory , 1 – 1 . University of Pennsylvania . (term papers in History and Philosophy of Science 500 Fall I am indebted to Mr. Madansky for allowing me to cite this paper. A copy is kept in the files of the History and Philosophy of Science Department, University of Pennsylvania.
  • Madansky , Charles . 1969 . The Central High School Observatory , 4 – 8 . University of Pennsylvania . (term papers in History and Philosophy of Science 500 Fall
  • 1839 . Journal of the Select Council of the City of Philadelphia , 5 February 14 Journal of the Common Council of the City of Philadelphia, 5, February 14, 1839.
  • 1839 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 6 ) : 80 – 80 .
  • Bell . 1964 . Astronomical Observatories of the American Philosophical Society . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 108 : 12 – 12 .
  • Madansky . 1969 . The Central High School Observatory , 8 – 9 . University of Pennsylvania . (term papers in History and Philosophy of Science 500 Fall
  • Madansky . 1969 . The Central High School Observatory , 14 – 14 . University of Pennsylvania . (term papers in History and Philosophy of Science 500 Fall
  • Madansky . 1969 . The Central High School Observatory , 14 – 18 . University of Pennsylvania . (term papers in History and Philosophy of Science 500 Fall
  • Reingold . 1964 . Science in Nineteenth Century America: A Documentary History 135 – 136 . New York
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 3 ( 27 ) : 85 – 85 .
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 3 ( 27 ) : 86 – 86 .
  • Bartlett , William H.C. 1846 . Account of the Observatory and Instruments of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with Observations on the Comet of 1843 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 9 : 191 – 203 . New Series
  • Bartlett , William H.C. 1846 . Account of the Observatory and Instruments of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with Observations on the Comet of 1843 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 9 : 191 – 191 . New Series
  • Bartlett , William H.C. 1846 . Account of the Observatory and Instruments of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with Observations on the Comet of 1843 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 9 : 192 – 193 . New Series
  • Bartlett , William H.C. 1846 . Account of the Observatory and Instruments of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with Observations on the Comet of 1843 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 9 : 193 – 195 . New Series
  • 1840 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 13 ) : 261 – 265 .
  • 1840 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 14 ) : 299 – 300 .
  • 1840 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 14 ) : 300 – 300 .
  • 1842 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 21 ) : 160 – 160 .
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 26 ) : 267 – 268 .
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 26 ) : 275 – 276 .
  • 1844 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 4 ( 31 ) : 113 – 113 .
  • 1844 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 4 ( 31 ) : 114 – 114 .
  • Bell . 1964 . Astronomical Observatories of the American Philosophical Society . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 108 : 3 – 3 .
  • 1839 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 6 ) : 71 – 73 .
  • 1840 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 12 ) : 227 – 233 .
  • Committee on Eclipses Solar Collection of Observations on the Solar Eclipse of November 30th, 1834, Made at Philadelphia, West-Hill, Baltimore, the University of Virginia, Norfolk, Cincinatti and Nashville Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. 1837 5 233 247 New Series
  • 1839 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 7 ) : 107 – 108 .
  • Walker , Sears C. 1839 . Report of the Committee on the Solar Eclipse of May 14 and 15, 1836 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 6 : 380 – 380 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1839 . Report of the Committee on the Solar Eclipse of May 14 and 15, 1836 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 6 : 381 – 382 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1839 . Report of the Committee on the Solar Eclipse of May 14 and 15, 1836 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 6 : 382 – 382 . New Series
  • 1838 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 14 ) : 35 – 38 .
  • 1838 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 14 ) : 44 – 46 .
  • 1838 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 14 ) : 48 – 48 .
  • 1838 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 1 ( 5 ) : 64 – 65 .
  • Baily , Francis . 1838 . On a Remarkable Phenomenon that Occurs in Total and Annular Eclipses of the Sun . Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society , 10 : 1 – 43 .
  • Baily , Francis . 1838 . On a Remarkable Phenomenon that Occurs in Total and Annular Eclipses of the Sun . Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society , 10 : 8 – 8 .
  • 1854 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 6 ( 51 ) : 38 – 41 .
  • See, for example Sears Walker C. On the Longitude of the Hall of the American Philosophical Society, Deduced from an Occultation of Aldebaran Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. 1837 5 347 348 New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1843 . Researches Concerning the Periodical Meteors of August and November . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 8 : 87 – 140 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1843 . Researches Concerning the Periodical Meteors of August and November . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 8 : 91 – 91 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1843 . Researches Concerning the Periodical Meteors of August and November . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 8 : 95 – 95 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1843 . Researches Concerning the Periodical Meteors of August and November . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 8 : 106 – 106 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1843 . Researches Concerning the Periodical Meteors of August and November . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 8 : 108 – 108 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1843 . Researches Concerning the Periodical Meteors of August and November . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 8 : 126ff – 126ff . New Series
  • Forshey , Caleb G. 1841 . Observations upon the Meteors of August . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 7 : 265 – 275 . New Series
  • Forshey , Caleb G. 1841 . Observations Upon the Meteors of August . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 7 : 269 – 270 . New Series
  • Forshey , Caleb G. 1841 . Observations Upon the Meteors of August . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 7 : 274 – 275 . New Series
  • Reingold . 1964 . Science in Nineteenth Century America: A Documentary History 136 – 136 . New York
  • 1847 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 4 ( 37 ) : 311 – 319 .
  • 1847 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 4 ( 37 ) : 318 – 318 .
  • Walker , Sears C. 1853 . Investigations Which Led to the Detection of the Coincidence between the Computed Places of the Planet Leverrier and the Observed Place of a Star Recorded by Lalande, in May, 1795 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 10 : 141 – 153 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1853 . Investigations Which Led to the Detection of the Coincidence between the Computed Places of the Planet Leverrier and the Observed Place of a Star Recorded by Lalande, in May, 1795 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 10 : 141 – 141 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1853 . Investigations Which Led to the Detection of the Coincidence between the Computed Places of the Planet Leverrier and the Observed Place of a Star Recorded by Lalande, in May, 1795 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 10 : 143 – 146 . New Series
  • Walker , Sears C. 1853 . Investigations Which Led to the Detection of the Coincidence between the Computed Places of the Planet Leverrier and the Observed Place of a Star Recorded by Lalande, in May, 1795 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 10 : 149 – 149 . New Series
  • 1848 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 5 ( 40 ) : 15 – 16 .
  • 1847 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 5 ( 38 ) : 332 – 335 .
  • Courtenay , Edward H. 1837 . On the Difference of Longitude of Several Places in the United States, as Determined by Observations of the Solar Eclipse of November 30, 1834 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 5 : 343 – 346 . New Series
  • Courtenay , Edward H. 1837 . On the Difference of Longitude of Several Places in the United States, as Determined by Observations of the Solar Eclipse of November 30, 1834 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 5 : 344 – 344 . New Series
  • Kendall , E. Otis . 1841 . On the Longitude of Several Places in the United States, as Deduced from the Observations of the Solar Eclipse of September 18th, 1838 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 7 : 67 – 72 . New Series
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 25 ) : 260 – 260 .
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 25 ) : 260 – 260 .
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 19 ) : 98 – 98 .
  • 1842 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 21 ) : 164 – 166 .
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 3 ( 27 ) : 130 – 132 .
  • 1843 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 3 ( 27 ) : 130 – 130 .
  • Borden , Simeon and Paine , Robert T. 1846 . Account of a Trigonometrical Survey of Massachusetts, with a Comparison with those Obtained from Astronomical Observations . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 10 : 33 – 92 . New Series
  • Dupree , A. Hunter . 1940 . Science in the Federal Government: A History of Policies and Activities to 1940 29 – 29 . New York
  • Hassler , Ferdinand . September 1841 . Considerations Relating to the Survey of the Coast of the United States, Arising out of the Report upon the Massachusetts Survey and Its Printing in the Bulletin of the Philosophical Society , September , American Philosophical Society . 10 Archives
  • 1849 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 5 ( 42 ) : 50 – 65 .
  • Bell . 1964 . Astronomical Observatories of the American Philosophical Society . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 108 : 14 – 14 .
  • See Littlehales George W. Walker, Sears C. Dictionary of American Biography iv 415 415
  • Mason , E.P. 1841 . Observations on Nebulae with a Fourteen-feet Reflector During the Year 1839 . Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 7 : 165 – 213 . New Series,
  • Letter, Richard Delafield to George Ord, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1845 May 30
  • Letter, Sears, C. Walker to George Ord, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1846 May 20
  • Letter, Richard Harris to the Secretary of the American Philosophical Society, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1843 December 18
  • Letter, C. Rümker to the Secretaries of the American Philosophical Society, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1836
  • Letter, C. Rümker to Alexander D. Bache, American Philosophical Society, Archives 1840 April 28
  • 1841 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 2 ( 18 ) : 75 – 75 .
  • 1849 . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. , 5 ( 42 ) : 50 – 50 .

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