Since the founding in 1660 of the Royal Society, London, scientists engaging in experimental research have sought to establish a base for exploratory work in communities and their political institutions. This connection between science and the nation...

Alexander Dallas Bache (1806-1867) was one of the leaders of American science in the nineteenth century. Driven by a vision of science as a key component of an integrated U. S. nation-state, he guided the nascent American Association for the Advancem...