John and William Bartram's America

John Bartram was born in 1699, ninety-two years after the first permanent English colony was built in America. His son, William Bartram, was born forty years later, in 1739.  Between them, most of the early American continent was explored, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the Mississippi River.  They became the foremost American botanists, and led the way for the exploration of territory beyond the early settlements.

The journal accounts of John and William Bartram provide a unique look at colonial America.  The stories written of their travels are exciting.  One often forgets that before Europeans settled here, a vast wilderness stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  The hazards faced by the Bartrams ranged from a lack of trails, renegades, and unknown Native Americans to life-threatening diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever.  The fact that they survived these hardships is evidence of their tenacity and love of discovering the wonders of nature.  Their contributions include the discovery of over 320 native plant species, specimens of which they sent to England for formal classification. Moreover, their journals provided information concerning birds, reptiles, insects, soil conditions, and Native American culture.

Locally, both John and William Bartram spent a great deal of time in North Carolina.  John Bartram is credited with finding the Venus's flytrap, which he called "tipitiwichit," while traveling through the Cape region.  His son, William, actually lived in North Carolina for some time.  After his schooling, William moved from Philadelphia to work in North Carolina as a trader.  The contributions of each are numerous, and because of their journals readers can learn about the early American wilderness, even today.

Summary by Jeremy Hart, student, North Carolina State University