Art from 19th Century U'S'Government Exploring Expeditions

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Art from 19th Century U.S.Government Exploring
Expeditions

• Bert Chapman
• Government Information Librarian-Purdue
  University Libraries

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Profiled Exploring Expeditions

• Sample Expeditions Presented
• U.S. Exploring Expedition (Wilkes Expedition),
  1838-1842
• Pacific Railroad Survey, 1853-1857
• Perry Expedition to Japan, 1852-1854

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Purposes of Exploring Expeditions

• Expanding governmental knowledge of areas coming
  under U.S. control or influence
• Increasing knowledge of these regions geographic
  features for mapping and hazard assessment
  purposes
• Gaining knowledge of regions agricultural
  resources and potential

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Purposes of Exploring Expeditions

• Learning about the natural resources of these
  areas and their potential uses for the U.S.
  economy
• Increasing scientific understanding of the plant
  and animal resources of these areas
• Increasing knowledge of the peoples of these
  regions

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Purposes of Exploring Expeditions

• Cultivating good business and personal
  relationships with inhabitants of these regions
• Providing written documentation of exploring
  expedition findings to the President, federal
  agencies, congressional oversight committees, and
  the American public.

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Purposes of Exploring Expeditions

• Providing visual documentation of expedition
  findings

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United States Exploring Expedition

• Online access provided courtesy of Smithsonian
  Institution Libraries
• www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/usexex

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U.S. Exploring Expedition website

• http//www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/usexex/

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U.S. Exploring Expedition Goals

• Explore and map southern Pacific Ocean
• Interact with native inhabitants of South America
  and South Pacific islands
• Map and determine the geographic nature of
  Antarctica-e.g. is it a continent?

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• http//www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/usexex/

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U.S. Exploring Expedition Accomplishments Did
significant mapping and charting of South Pacific
Ocean-U.S. Military used expedition charts during
World War II Tarawa campaign. Proved Antarctica
was a continent Gained vastly expanded knowledge
of South Pacific peoples, customs,
cultures. Expedition artifacts formed nucleus
of Smithsonian Institution collections.
U.S
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Pacific Railroad Surveys Purpose was determining
the best route to build for building a
transcontinental railway to the Pacific
Ocean Four different areas surveyed ranging from
near the Mexican Border to The British North
American/Canadian border 49th parallel Survey
results were confused and transcontinental
railroad was notcompleted till 1869. Reports
still enhanced scientific understanding of
American west.
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Mission San Xavier Del Bac-Tucson
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Perry Expedition to Japan

• Purposes included opening Japan to U.S. and
  international trade.
• Gaining expanded knowledge of Japan, China, and
  East Asian region.

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• Overall Exploring Expedition Results
• Expanded U.S. Scientific, Cultural, and Economic
  knowledge of areas under its control or within
  its national interests
• Represented the continuing growth of federal
  government support of scientific research and
  exploration
• Provided written and visual documentation of
  expedition research findings
• Can, arguably, be seen as a tentative beginning
  of federal government support for the arts.