| Affiliations: | Aggie Research Mentoring Program |
| Project Leader: | Catherine Brooks catherine.g.brooks@tamu.edu Anthropology |
| Faculty Mentor: | Kevin Crisman, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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TBA |
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Team Size:
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3 |
| Open Spots: | 1 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Developing database and archival research skills, possibility of co-presenting findings at the TAMU Anthropology Conference or Student Research Week in the Spring, exploring the fields of Anthropology and Archaeology, mentoring for writing, editing, and research skills, as well as graduate school applications.
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Team Needs:
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Mandatory: Ability to read cursive handwriting in archival documents Bonus: Basic Excel and Word skills, basic photo editing skills, experience with archival databases For a special side project: Ability to read cursive handwriting in Dutch from archival documents |
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Description:
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The aim of this project is to compile a database of information about the transportation of living plant specimens enacted by colonial empires in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a primary focus on the British Empire. From this information, we hope to inquire about the understanding of the mechanics and logistics of transporting living plants in the age of sail; which specimens were transported as living plants (as opposed to seeds or pressed in herbariums) and why; who were key players in these undertakings; how the institutionalization of science in the 18th century impacted the field of botany; differential access to take part in the creation of botanical knowledge (along gendered and racial lines), and the impacts this has had on the field to this day; and the ecological and cultural impacts of plant transfers around the world, from invasive species to changing diets.
The main goal of this project is the editing, analysis, and compilation of relevant information from archival documents collected in-person in the UK from the British Library, Kew Gardens Archives, Greenwich Maritime Museum, and British National Archives during the summer of 2023. Documents include handwritten notes, shipboard journals, personal and Admiralty letters, official documents, scientific society papers, and colonial reports. Most are dated from 1750-1900, some by famous historical figures like Captain James Cook, Captain William Bligh, and naturalist Sir Joseph Banks. |