American Philosophical Society

The American Philosophical Society was one of the first organizations formed by America for the purpose of scientific advancement. Founded by Benjamin Franklin, it was a place were high class members of society came together to discus and stimulate research. Though this research was still very crude, the society served as a symbol of America's departure from Europe's speculative form of science. One important quality of the organization was that its purpose was not only to peruse a greater understanding of the natural universe, but to share that information to the general public. This echoed the American attitude towards socioeconomic differences at the time . Though those who were wealthy and educated considered themselves elite, they also valued the population as a whole. Just as after independence the masses could vote, but only the elite would run, only the elite would lead the research while the public was merely allowed the opportunity to follow it. While this may sound negative, this was a large improvement over many established systems in which education only was given to the rich, never the poor. This attitude is what most likely lead to science becoming an individual practice among the middle class in the 19th century.

"American Philosophical Society." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. < http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com >.