James Delborgo and Nicholas Dew. Science and the Empire in the Atlantic World

James Delbourgo and Nicholas Dew Science and Empire in the Atlantic World

Science and Empire in the Atlantic World is a collection of twelve essays that examine the way that science and imperialism worked together in the Atlantic World. The twelve essays are divided into four parts, which complicate the traditional narrative of the empires of Europe bringing science and conquest to the American peoples. The first portion focuses on scientific exploration and the secrecy surrounding the creation of maps, ending with Benjamin franklin arguing that the Americans discovered the Gulf Stream using local knowledge of American sailors. The second portion of the book examines an intellectual history of the Americas during the time of exploration. Naturalism, Mysticism and local botany all complicate the picture of a Eurocentric science. A great example of European scientists learning from the local Botanical knowledge in Brazil in which, “Dutch Surgeon-barbers broke the monopoly of erudite knowledge enjoyed by doctors.” [1] The third portion of the book focuses on European’s need for and helplessness to the new environment. There is discussion of failed expeditions due to climate and disease and Spain’s dependence on the influx of gold from the new world. The final portion of the book talks about how and why Europeans felt both a mistrust and begrudging respect for the knowledge and abundance of the Americas.

Science and Empire in the Atlantic World challenges several earlier theories on the nature of the American Conquest. It attempts to show that the science being done was not a top down science, where there was little or no knowledge diffusion to the conquerors. Instead it shows that the Europeans learned much from the local knowledge of the indigenous people. It reminds us that the “great men” narrative is often times the exception and men would be greats lie dead at the bottom of the sea.

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