The representation of the American territory and the controversy between Jefferson and Buffon

Abstract

The Franco-American confrontation of scientific reports on nature reveals that the Lewis and Clark Expedition was not so essentially a conquering move as previously asserted because it was conceived mostly within the context of a scientific survey with the aim to prove or disprove Buffon’s contention that the American climate was that of paradise (hot and humid), and that the absence of hardship fostered mediocrity if not degeneration. In his admiration for Buffon, Thomas Jefferson strove to bring his observations to the attention of the French naturalist, beginning with his own publication on Virginia botanical surroundings, and with his observations on large American animals that included the Mammoth, whom he thought still alive because of his respect for creationism. The fact that large animals were roaming the continent disproved that degeneration was the fate of its inhabitants, degeneration implying a diminutive size. As well, “Indians” were not any lesser than other human beings (since creationism excluded evolution one way or the other, and he saw no evidence of degeneracy in any kinds of beings from America). He did foresee that they might benefit from their adoption of British forms of governance and religion so that perhaps, in due time, they could establish their own “nations”.