Read This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon Online
Authors: Nancy Plain
Tags: #BIO000000 Biography & Autobiography / General
This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon (10 page)
Bachman, John (
1790
–
1874
):
An American clergyman and naturalist who helped John James Audubon with
The Birds of America
and
The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America
.
banding:
The process of fastening a band around a bird’s leg to enable future identification.
biology:
The scientific study of living things, mostly plant and animal life.
Blackfoot:
An Indian nation of the Upper Missouri country and Canada.
botany:
The scientific study of plant life.
brine:
Salted water.
camera lucida:
A sketching device that uses a prism and a magnifying glass to project an image onto a piece of paper.
Clay, Henry (
1777
–
1852
):
A politician and statesman who held office in both houses of Congress, served as secretary of state, and won fame for his efforts to avoid civil war.
Cuvier, Baron Georges (
1769
–
1832
):
A French naturalist known for major contributions to the fields of comparative anatomy and animal taxonomy.
Darwin, Charles (
1809
–
82
):
The English naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection.
engraving:
The process of cutting images into a plate, usually copper. In Audubon’s time, engraving allowed artwork to be copied and printed for use as illustrations.
flatboat:
A boat with a flat bottom and squared ends, used for river travel in the nineteenth century.
forage:
To search for food.
French Revolution:
The violent upheaval in France, lasting from 1789 to 1799, that replaced the monarchy with a democratic form of government.
Grinnell, George Bird (
1849
–
1938
):
An American naturalist and writer who helped found the Audubon Society and establish Glacier National Park in Montana.
grog:
An alcoholic drink, usually rum.
Harrison, William Henry (
1773
–
1841
):
Ninth president of the United States, who died thirty days after his inauguration.
Houston, Sam (
1793
–
1863
):
The general famous for his 1836 victory in the Mexican-American War and who also served two terms as president of the Republic of Texas.
Irving, Washington (
1783
–
1859
):
A writer of essays, satires, biographies, and fiction who is most famous for his stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Jackson, Andrew (
1767
–
1845
):
A general during the War of 1812, an Indian fighter, and the seventh president of the United States, serving two terms, from 1829 to 1837.
keelboat:
A boat with a keel and pointed ends that was used for river travel in the nineteenth century.
Lewis and Clark Expedition:
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the famous expedition, from 1804 to 1806, up the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.
Linnaeus, Carl (
1707
–
78
):
The Swedish scientist who developed the modern system of taxonomy, naming and classifying plants and animals.
lithography:
The process of cutting images into a stone plate and printing them. After the late 1830s, lithography became more popular than engraving for making copies of pictures.
mackinaw:
A flat-bottomed boat that can be propelled either by oar power or by sails.
Mandan:
An Indian tribe living in North Dakota, along the Missouri River. This tribe was almost destroyed by smallpox in the 1830s.
menagerie:
A collection of animals, usually wild ones.
natural history:
The study of the natural world’s plant and animal life, as well as the earth’s geology.
naturalist:
One who studies nature, especially plants and animals.
New Madrid earthquake:
A series of earthquakes occurring in 1811 and 1812 along the Mississippi River. Felt over a wide area, they are the strongest ever recorded in the region.
Nuttall, Thomas (
1786
–
1859
):
An English botanist and ornithologist who, along with John Townsend, discovered American bird species during a western expedition from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.
Oregon Trail:
The path along the Platte River that pioneers followed during America’s period of westward expansion.
ornithology:
The study of birds.
quadrupeds:
Four-legged animals.
Republic of Texas:
After winning independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas became an independent republic. It joined the Union in 1845 as the twenty-eighth state.
Shawnee:
An Indian tribe with wide-ranging settlements from Georgia to Ohio during Audubon’s time.
Sioux:
Also known as the Lakota, a large Indian tribe with many different branches, living from Minnesota to the Dakotas during the nineteenth century.
skiff:
A small boat powered either by oar or sail.
smallpox:
A highly contagious disease caused by a virus.
species:
A distinct group of animals sharing the same basic characteristics and habitat and whose members usually breed only among themselves.
specimen:
An individual sample that represents a larger group.
steamboat:
A type of boat, powered by steam, that came into use in America in 1807 and revolutionized river travel.
Sully, Thomas (
1783
–
1872
):
An American artist and one of the leading portrait painters of his day.
taxonomy:
The science of the classification of plants and animals.
Townsend, John (
1809
–
51
):
An American naturalist and ornithologist who accompanied Thomas Nuttall on an expedition from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.
Trail of Tears:
Following President Andrew Jackson’s signing of the Indian Removal Bill of 1830, Indian tribes from America’s southern states were forcibly removed from their homelands and resettled on reservations west of the Mississippi.
tuberculosis:
An infectious disease caused by bacteria that usually affects the lungs.
viviparous:
An adjective that describes an animal that gives birth to live young as opposed to laying eggs.
War of
1812
:
The war between America and Britain that lasted from 1812 to 1815.
Webster, Daniel (
1782
–
1852
):
A lawyer, orator, and statesman who served in both houses of Congress, as well as two terms as secretary of state.
Wilson, Alexander (
1766
–
1813
):
Born in Scotland, this naturalist and ornithologist achieved fame for his multivolume work,
American Ornithology
.
yellow fever:
A highly infectious disease caused by a virus that is transmitted by mosquito bite.
zoology:
The scientific study of animal life.
Introduction
1.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 757.
2.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 321.
3.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:x.
4.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 2:8.
1. Beloved Boy
1.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 768.
2.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 769.
3.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:v.
4.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:vi.
5.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 759.
6.
Olson,
Audubon’s Aviary
, 42.
7.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:vi.
8.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 769.
9.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 770.
10.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 768.
11.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 770.
12.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 769.
13.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 771.
14.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 772.
15.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:v.
16.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:1.
2. America, My Country
1.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 2:53.
2.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 2:52.
3.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:ix.
4.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 24.
5.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 26.
6.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 26.
7.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 775.
8.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 45.
9.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:11.
10.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 782–83.
11.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 783.
12.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 783.
13.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 37.
14.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 37.
15.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 784.
16.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 2:8.
3. The American Woodsman
1.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 785.
2.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 786.
3.
Olson,
Audubon’s Aviary
, 20.
4.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 534.
5.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 535.
6.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 535.
7.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 786.
8.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 70.
9.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 65.
10.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:44.
11.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 785.
12.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:44.
13.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 787–88.
14.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 526.
15.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 527.
16.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 527.
17.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 528.
18.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 789.
19.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 2:234.
20.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 2:235.
21.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 2:235.
22.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 266.
23.
Olson,
Audubon’s Aviary
, 180.
24.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 121.
25.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 791.
26.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 791.
27.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 100.
28.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:47.
4. Down the Mississippi
1.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 792. Emphasis in original.
2.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 792.
3.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:37.
4.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 785.
5.
Olson quotes Audubon in
Audubon’s Aviary
, 316.
6.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 82.
7.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 3.
8.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 520.
9.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 21.
10.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 67.
11.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 115.
12.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 72.
13.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 72. Emphasis in original.
14.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 76.
15.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 100. Emphasis in original.
16.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 170.
17.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 69.
18.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 183. Emphasis in original.
19.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 83.
20.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 183.
5. On the Wing
1.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 145.
2.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 756. Emphasis in original.
3.
Sanders,
Audubon Reader
, 13.
4.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 206.
5.
Olson quoted Audubon in
Audubon’s Aviary
, 51.
6.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 231.
7.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 128.
8.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 129.
9.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 130.
10.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 138.
11.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 260.
12.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 260.
13.
Ford,
John James Audubon
, 139.
14.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 270.
15.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 321.
16.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 293. Emphasis in original.
6.
The Birds of America
1.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 162.
2.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 1:xiv.
3.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 164. Emphasis in original.
4.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 118.
5.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 117.
6.
Olson,
Audubon’s Aviary
, 37.
7.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 120.
8.
Foshay,
John James Audubon
, 75.
9.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 1:359.
10.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 333.
11.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 801.
12.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 133.
13.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:235.
14.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 803–5.
15.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 1:377.
16.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 1:397.
17.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:254.
18.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:284.
19.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:284.
20.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:284.
21.
Ford,
John James Audubon
, 296.
22.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 847.
23.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 808.
24.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 369.
25.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 122.
26.
Arthur,
Audubon
, 55.
7. Team Audubon
1.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 243. Emphasis in original.
2.
J. Audubon,
Ornithological Biography
, 2:85.
3.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 161. Emphasis in original.
4.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 1:426.
5.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:62.
6.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:63.
7.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 255.
8.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 304.
9.
Sanders,
Audubon Reader
, 11.
10.
Corning,
Letters of John James Audubon
, 2:50.
11.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:22.
12.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 2:348.
13.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 2:364–65.
14.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 428.
15.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:360.
16.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:386.
17.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 2:409.
18.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 2:411.
19.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:428–29.
20.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 840.
21.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:164.
22.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:164.
23.
Chancellor,
Audubon
, 199.
24.
Ford,
John James Audubon
, 296.
25.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:142.
26.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 836.
8. This Strange Wilderness
1.
Corning,
Letters of John James Audubon,
2:136.
2.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:187.
3.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:261.
4.
Foshay,
John James Audubon
, 118.
5.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 343.
6.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:211.
7.
Herrick,
Audubon the Naturalist
, 2:209.
8.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 855.
9.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 594.
10.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 598.
11.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 588.
12.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 615.
13.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 642.
14.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 643.
15.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 732.
16.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 677.
17.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 725.
18.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 591.
19.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 692–93.
20.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 712.
21.
Streshinsky,
Audubon
, 351.
22.
J. Audubon,
Writings and Drawings
, 749.
23.
Foshay,
John James Audubon
, 120.
24.
M. Audubon,
Audubon and His Journals
, 1:76.
25.
Ford,
John James Audubon
, 422.