Have you ever wondered what day-to-day life was like for scientific pioneer and Secretary of the Smithsonian Joseph Henry? In 1865, Washington, D.C. was a hub of many different pursuits and work. By transcribing Joseph Henry’s daily journal, you will gain insight into his efforts and accomplishments as the Civil War was coming to a close.
Have you ever wondered what day-to-day life was like for scientific pioneer and Secretary of the Smithsonian Joseph Henry? In 1865, Washington, D.C. was a hub of many different pursuits and work. By transcribing Joseph Henry’s daily journal, you will gain insight into his efforts and accomplishments as the Civil War was coming to a close.
Immortalized in sculpture in front of the Smithsonian castle, Joseph Henry (1797-1878), served as Secretary of the Smithsonian from its earliest days in 1846 until his death in 1878. A scientific pioneer in his own right, Henry used his position to shape and guide the Institution, furthering its intellectual reach and diffusion of knowledge. This journal is his personal notes of events and work at the Smithsonian, ideas for reports and sketches of the Smithsonian’s activities, notes concerning accounts, and for correspondence. Among its highlights are entries about the fire in the Smithsonian Institution Building, or Castle, on January 24, 1865. A personal acquaintance of the Lincoln family, Henry includes comments concerning President Lincoln’s assassination.
