Other editions of book The Travels

William Bartram (1739-1823) was America's first native born naturalist, artist, and botanist and first author in the modern genre of writers who portrayed nature through scientific examination as well as personal understanding. The son of noted botanist, John Bartram, William, from his mid teens, was noted for the quality of his botanic and ornithological drawings. His role in the maintenance of his father's botanic garden sparked William's interest in the scientific field, adding many rare species to it. In 1773, William embarked upon a four-year journey through the eight southern colonies ranging from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, to the Carolinas, Florida and Mississippi. "The Travels of William Bartram" is an account of this journey that combines the natural sciences, travel and philosophy in a literature style that is not just solely scientific. The book entails the many native flora and fauna he discovered, encounters with the intrepid Seminoles Indians, battles with aggressive alligators, and observations on God's device for Nature.

This is the first inexpensive, illustrated edition of one of the most delightful books of the 18th century. A major source work in American geography, anthropology, and natural history, it contains accurate and entertaining descriptions of the area of the New World now embraced by Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.From 1773 to 1778, William Bartram, a trained naturalist, traveled through southern North America, noting the characteristics of almost everything he encountered: the rivers of Florida, the groves of wild oranges, the swamps and lagoons, the fish, the tropical snakes and reptiles, the land and aquatic birds, the Cherokee Indians' march toward civilization, the festivals of the Seminole, the customs of the Creeks. This material now offers a wealth of first-hand information that is not available elsewhere.And it offers it in a format that still makes for exciting reading. A classic not only of natural science and observation, Bartram's account also served as a source for Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" and "Ancient Mariner" and was held in high esteem as literature by Wordsworth, Carlyle, and Emerson.

This book contains all of Bartram's journeys around North America in the late 18th century, through much of what was then Native American territory. In the 1790s when this book was first published, the United States was newly formed and was expanding beyond its original thirteen colonies. However, American settlement into the distant lands beyond the Appalachians was limited and gradual. The vast expanse of land was unknown, and much was inhabited by Native American tribes. Determined to traverse and discover the lands of North America, William Bartram set out from the city of Philadelphia, making his way toward the south of the continent. Along his way he describes the wilderness terrain, rivers, landscape and peoples he meets. Many of the Native American tribes he encountered were welcoming, viewing Bartram as a strange curiosity. He would join the natives to eat at feasts, observing their lives and customs, learning their dialects and eventually gaining their trust and friendship. Several passages of this book are focused upon the unique plant and animal life which Bartram observed on his journeys. Unusual and dangerous occurrences, such as an alligator attacking his camp at night, are also related to the reader. Frequently, Bartram compares the beautiful landscapes of the Appalachians, Florida and the westerly plains to places of Greek mythology such as the Elysian fields. A classic travelogue of substantial historical value, The Travels of William Bartram is an illustrative history of both the Native American tribes of southern North America, and the virgin landscapes of the continent.

In its time, it was considered the most significant work of American natural history. Coleridge, Emerson, and Wordsworth were fans, and drew from it for their own work. It is, in short, one of the most important volumes of 18th-century nature and travel writing. American botanist and naturalist WILLIAM BARTRAM (1739-1823) embarked upon a solitary four-year journey, just prior to the American Revolution, through what is now the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, through Cherokee and Creek country, through confrontations with bears and crocodiles, through country rough and beautiful. In the classic work first published in 1791, he tells with wondrous poetry and delicate insight the story of his travels and of the people, plants, and animals he encountered. This replica of the 1928 edition edited by Pulitzer Prize winner MARK VAN DOREN (1894-1972) is complete with the original maps, diagrams, and botanical and ethnographical illustrations. A beautiful work of history and literature, it belongs in the library of anyone interested in pre-Revolutionary America and its natural environs.

For years, serious naturalists have treasured their copies of Francis Harper's naturalist's edition of The Travels of William Bartram as the definitive version of Bartram's pioneering survey. Complete with notes and commentary, an annotated index, maps, a bibliography, and a general index, this classic is now back in print for the first time in decades. Harper's knowledge of natural history transforms Bartram's accounts of the southern states from a curious record of personal observation from the past into a guidebook useful to modern biologists, historians, ornithologists, and ethnologists.In 1773 the naturalist and writer William Bartram set out from Philadelphia on a four-year journey ranging from the Carolinas to Florida and Mississippi. For Bartram it was the perfect opportunity to pursue his interest in observing and drawing plants and birds. Combining precise and detailed scientific observations with a profound appreciation of nature, he produced a written account of his journey that would later influence both scientists and poets, including Wordsworth and Coleridge.Bartram was among the first to integrate scientific observations and personal commentary. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he condemned the idea that nature was simply a resource to be consumed. Instead, he championed the aesthetic and scientific values of an "infinite variety of animated scenes, inexpressibly beautiful and pleasing." From his field journals he prepared a report for his benefactor and a larger report for the public. The former was rediscovered much later and published in 1943; the latter was published in 1791 and became the basis for the modern Bartram's Travels.

In its time, it was considered the most significant work of American natural history. Coleridge, Emerson, and Wordsworth were fans, and drew from it for their own work. It is, in short, one of the most important volumes of 18th-century nature and travel writing. American botanist and naturalist WILLIAM BARTRAM (1739-1823) embarked upon a solitary four-year journey, just prior to the American Revolution, through what is now the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, through Cherokee and Creek country, through confrontations with bears and crocodiles, through country rough and beautiful. In the classic work first published in 1791, he tells with wondrous poetry and delicate insight the story of his travels and of the people, plants, and animals he encountered. This replica of the 1928 edition edited by Pulitzer Prize winner MARK VAN DOREN (1894-1972) is complete with the original maps, diagrams, and botanical and ethnographical illustrations. A beautiful work of history and literature, it belongs in the library of anyone interested in pre-Revolutionary America and its natural environs.

This classic narrative of travels through America's southern wilderness was first published in 1791 by botanist William Bartram. From an Indian village to an orange grove, from the Mississippi to the Florida coast, this exquisite travel diary--enhanced with Bartram's own line drawings--brings to life the raw beauty of the American South as it was over 200 years ago.

This classic narrative of travels through America's southern wilderness was first published in 1791 by botanist William Bartram. From an Indian village to an orange grove, from the Mississippi to the Florida coast, this exquisite travel diary--enhanced with Bartram's own line drawings--brings to life the raw beauty of the American South as it was over 200 years ago.

In its time, it was considered the most significant work of American natural history. Coleridge, Emerson, and Wordsworth were fans, and drew from it for their own work. It is, in short, one of the most important volumes of 18th-century nature and travel writing. American botanist and naturalist WILLIAM BARTRAM (1739-1823) embarked upon a solitary four-year journey, just prior to the American Revolution, through what is now the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, through Cherokee and Creek country, through confrontations with bears and crocodiles, through country rough and beautiful. In the classic work first published in 1791, he tells with wondrous poetry and delicate insight the story of his travels and of the people, plants, and animals he encountered. This replica of the 1928 edition edited by Pulitzer Prize winner MARK VAN DOREN (1894-1972) is complete with the original maps, diagrams, and botanical and ethnographical illustrations. A beautiful work of history and literature, it belongs in the library of anyone interested in pre-Revolutionary America and its natural environs.

Bartram's Travels is one of the earliest and most important books of A merican natural history. For four years (1773-1777) William Bartram wandered through the virgin forests, valleys, and wetlands of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. His lyrical descriptions of the American wilderness influenced the work of literary figures while also becoming recognized as a classic of natural history writing.