Historical Figure
Benjamin Smith Barton
Benjamin Smith Barton (1766–1815) was a Philadelphia physician, botanist, and professor at the University of Pennsylvania who tutored Meriwether Lewis in natural history and botanical classification before the expedition. He lent Lewis reference books, including his own "Elements of Botany" (1803), the first American botany textbook, and instructed him in methods for preserving and describing plant specimens. Many of Lewis's detailed botanical descriptions during the expedition reflect Barton's training.
Portrait: Public Domain
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