Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose! written by Beth Anderson and drawings by Jeremy Holmes, Calkins Creek Books, May 14, 2024 Pre-Order Now!
Who was Thomas Jefferson? He was a man of many talents – a lawyer, an inventor, a farmer, an architect, one of our Founding Fathers, the author of the Declaration of Independence, the third president of the United States, and a scientist. Author, Beth Anderson crafts a captivating story of how Thomas Jefferson and French scientist Count Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon came to blows over a statement made by Buffon in his encyclopedia of the natural world. How did this happen? Read on.
The opening pages begin with readers learning that science was Thomas Jefferson’s “supreme delight,” and he believed it was measurable. Plants, animals, mountains, streams, weather, and crops all called for Jefferson’s attention as did their sizes, shapes, weights, and temperatures. Jefferson wanted to learn everything he could about science. He was fascinated by the work of Count Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon’s encyclopedia. But when Buffon, who had never been to America, wrote that American animals were inferior to those of Europe and Asia, Jefferson went into a fit of rage. How dare Buffon write that! His words were “absurd” and “outrageous!” While Jefferson helped America fight for liberty, he also fought against Buffon’s ideas concerning American animals. Using a scientific inquiry process, Jefferson was determined to “measure the truth” to set the record straight. Jefferson began with questions and discovered a particular question that bothered him. Where did Buffon get his information? As it turned out, Buffon got it from other travelers’ notes. With more questions, Jefferson had a plan. He contacted American friends from north to south to send “the heaviest weights of our animals from the mouse to the mammoth.” With their information in hand, Jefferson wrote a book to refute what Buffon had written. After Jefferson was appointed Minister to France, he felt it was the perfect time to come face-to-face with Buffon. Jefferson waited for months to meet him. While he waited, he sent Buffon his book and a panther skin. When the two finally met, it was a raucous meeting. They vociferously disagreed with one another. Buffon wanted proof of animal size, and Jefferson provided him with a pièce de résistance. Jefferson requested his friends from the northeast states send a huge moose to France. After months and months and many delays, the moose finally arrived. It was not quite the specimen Jefferson had in mind, but when Buffon saw it, his thinking changed.
Beth Anderson skillfully weaves her well-researched facts into the text to create a book that will spark readers’ curiosity and interest. Complimenting the text are Jeremy Holmes’ intricate and, at times, hilarious drawings. This is a must-have book for its content, historical value, drawings, and pure enjoyment. Huzzah!
“He who knows best knows how little he knows.” ~Thomas Jefferson
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