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.  
[1] 132
Category:Scientific Revolution
Category:Exploration and Empire