so who was andre michaux? and what is the real story of this description list and what really happened? and probably most importantly, did it matter? what's the legacy and so i want to share with you now some the findings that i uncovered during my expedition, if you will, into the past. but if you want the full answers, i understand there's a book signing afterwards out in the hall. so. so who was andre michaux, who was jaime mentioned? i think andre michaux show is probably the greatest scientific explorer, a natural historian of his generation that you've never heard of before. in fact, there is no no likeness of him you're looking at. here is an image i found in the aps library in another french botanist papers, who decided to sketch what? a botanist would look like in the field, conducting research. and so this was actually really helpful for me when i was trying to imagine me showing all these expeditions, because you can see here, i don't know if you can make it out, but he's got a gun over, his shoulde

it is andre michaux. and he also realizes michaux provide him with the cover necessary to succeed, because at the time, jefferson is acutely aware of the tensions that have developed between the united states and native american communities, especially those in the ohio and points west, who are fearful that this new country is just an aggrandizing power. there, going to colonize and subjugate them. and jefferson is very worried that if he sends an american envoy out there, they're going to assume that's what's going on. so he thinks that if i can send a frenchman there, this will look suspicious. so jefferson, with this idea decides to try and raise money for real. and that's what the subscription list iabout. the societies successfully raises the eent of point seven $5 million to underwrite this expedition. this iow cate a number of committees to do this. and after they successfully raise the money they decide to create third committee, a committee that going to outline the mission purpose, the prioritie

i'll tell you a little bit more about michaux. michaux was born in france in 1746. he was born outside of rissi. so you'reng at vici here he was born on an area called sartori, which at the time wre a number of farms this was land that was by the king of france, who then lseit out to individuals. and often these individuals had gaed the favor or inuprt of the king. and so if you had one of these rm you could rely on a faly lucrative income. why? because you fed vici and there were a l omales at vici all the time to feed. and any excess you had you could then bring to market. you could also feed your own family. sartori is actually that forest down there on the bottom that is now forest that was all farmland before. so you can get a sense of how close michaux was toiverside. now, misha's father anticipated that his son just follow in his footsteps. this is, you know, monarchical autocratic, hierarchical france, as far as he was concerned, this is a great living. it's an inheritance that he wanted to pass on to his son. and michaux, for all intents and purposes follow

tonight's lecture will paint a vivid portrait of andre michaux, one of the most accomplished scientific explorers of north america. before thomas jefferson set lewis and clark off their famous expedition, moscow's work took him from bahamas to the hudson bay and it's likely that no other had seen so much of this continent at the time. but there's more to the story. during his decade long in america, he found himself the center of a vast internet national conspiracy and as the story winds on an unexpected figure emerges at the center of the plot. one very well known to all of us here in virginia, and that is thomas jefferson joining us this evening to unpack this conspiracy is patrick spero until patrick served as the library man and director of the american philosophical society library, one of the oldest, one of the very oldest history organizations, our nation. and in beginning this january, official, he will take on the reins this august organization as its new ceo. patrick is a scholar of early american history and the author of several articles and four books, including frontier co

thank for being our guest with our look at fda'stonight's lecta vivid portrait of andre michaux, one of the most accomplished scientific

the honors otonight's lecture wa vivid portrait of andre michaux, one of the most accomplished scientific explorers was of north america. before thomas set lewis and clark