Just as the title says, this is the somewhat convoluted story of how an Englishman's fortune was bequeathed to the fledgling United States for the purpose of founding a "an establishment for the increase & diffusion of Knowledge among men". The biography of James Macie, begins with his birth as the unacknowledged, illegitimate son of the Duke of Northumberland. Upon the Duke's death Macie began using his father's adopted name of Smithson. Smithson devoted his life to the sciences, geology in particular. Included in his bequest were his notes and collection of rocks and minerals. It is still a matter of conjecture why the unmarried, childless man chose to leave his money to the U.S. The second part of the book involves the Congressional battles over the use and dispersing of the $500,000 fortune left by this total stranger to the United States. Former President and then Congressman, an advocate for the sciences championed the cause but the fortune was nearly lost due to political wrangling but eventually the "castle" was built on the still under construction Washington Mall. This story ends with the fire near the end of the Civil War when the castle was seriously damaged and most of the Smithson collection was lost. The book includes extensive author's notes and a bibliography.
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Monday, September 18, 2017
The Stranger and the Statesman
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