William Bartram

William Bartram 1739-1823

     William Bartram, traveler and naturalist, was the fifth son of noted botanist, John Bartram. Bartram was born and reared in a stone house erected by his father at Kingsessing, on the Schuylkill River, now a part of Philadelphia. Young Bartram displayed a talent for drawing natural objects and was offered a position as apprentice printer by Benjamin Franklin; however, at the age of eighteen, William began training as a merchant and tried to settle as an independent trader at Cape Fear, NC.
     In 1765-66 he accompanied his father on a 400-mile exploration of the St. John's River in Florida, after which he returned to Philadelphia where he quietly worked on a farm. By this time some of his drawings caught the attention of the famous English botanist, Dr. John Fothergill. Fothergill, impressed by William's drawings, financed an exploration of the southeastern part of the United States. In return for Forthergill's support, Bartram would collect seeds and specimens of the flora of this region and send them to England.
     Bartram's exploration of the southeast began March 1773 when he sailed from Philadelphia to Savannah, GA. He traveled northwest through South Carolina, North Carolina, and northeast Georgia. Bartram had already visited this region of Georgia with his father, John Bartram, who had been appointed Botanist Royal in America by King George III. When William and his father visited this region in 1765, they described and collected a plant they named the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamatha) in honor of their friend, Benjamin Franklin. These specimens were found growing on the banks of the Alatamaha River in Georgia. The Franklin tree is now thought to be extinct and the only specimens we have today are the descendants of those collected by the Bartrams. William returned to Philadelphia in 1777. He was elected professor of botany at the University of Pennsylvania, but declined the position for reason of health.
     In 1791 Bartram published his "Travels" which was an account of his travels through the southeast. His book was hailed as a work of literature and an accurate account of natural and cultural history. Bartram's published account of his journey was widely read and appealed to the English romantic writers Coleridge and Wordsworth.
     In 1803 Thomas Jefferson asked Bartram to join Lewis and Clark in their exploration of the Louisiana Territory. Bartram traveled with the explorers and recorded many botanical observations. Although William Bartram is not well known in American history, he explored more of America than any other scientist of his time.
     Upon the death of Bartram's father, the Botanic garden passed to William's brother, John, who took William into partnership with him. They established the first nursery in the U.S. and printed the first plant catalog. One of their customers was Thomas Jefferson who often stayed with them and purchased plants for Monticello. The 1784 Continental Congress adjourned a session specifically to visit the gardens and nursery.
     William died in 1823 at the home of his niece, Mrs. Ann Carr. Death came suddenly and kindly to the aged naturalist as he strolled through his beloved garden.

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