The History of Science in the United States

This encyclopedia examines all aspects of the history of science in the United States, and is designed for students, general readers, scientists, or anyone interested in the facts relating to the development of science in the United States. Special emphasis is placed on the history of medicine and technology and on the relationship between science and technology and science and medicine. These interrelationships form a unique perspective that allows the reader to see how technology and medicine influenced--and in turn were influenced by--the progress of scientific thought in the United States. Bibliographies at the end of entries cover not only the most recent and authoritative sources on the subject, but also introduce the reader to specialized literature. In addition to its coverage of individuals, concepts, and discoveries, the book also contains numerous entries on the major U.S. scientific organizations, institutions, and schools of thought and on the roles they played in the development of science, providing key information on the background of American science from colonial times to the present. The more than 500 entries were all written by experts in the field, ranging from senior scholars with world reputations to young scholars presenting the fruits of their research. As a result, this single volume is a unique forum that presents the results, interpretations, and debates among three generations of historians of American science-much of it heretofore available only in specialized literature-to a broad audience of readers.