Alexander von Humboldt: The Man Who Changed Nature

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Stefani Hietala Junior Division Historical Paper

Paper Length: 2,495 words

“Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie

angeschaut haben.”

(The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the

world.)

― Alexander von Humboldt, 1769 ­ 1859

Alexander von Humboldt connected the natural world through his exploration of

science, nature, and geography. His discoveries and observations in the early 1800s

still influence scientists and geographers today. His warnings, like that of global

warming, didn’t become commonly accepted until more than 100 years after his

findings. Humboldt was the first person to encounter the idea that everything in nature is

connected. The German­born scientist explored new places and species, created a new

mindset on how to view the world, and exchanged those ideas and findings with other

scientists, explorers, politicians, and literally anyone who would listen to him. Humboldt

opened the door to what was and what could be in the world of science.

Alexander von Humboldt had always been an explorer at heart. As a young child,

he preferred to be outside, collecting bugs and plants from his parent’s estate. As an 1

adult, his curiosity continued. Throughout his life, he explored the continents of Asia,

Europe, South America, and North America. Humboldt’s main goal throughout his

explorations was always to figure out how “‘all forces of nature are interlaced and

interwoven’ ­ how organic and inorganic nature interacted,” Andrea Wulf says in The

1 Karl Bruhns 1873, vol. 1, p. 20; Hanno Beck 1959­61, vol. 1, p. 10

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Invention of Nature. Wulf also wrote that Humboldt knew of the issue that “[h]umankind 2

. . . had the power to destroy the environment and the consequences would be

catastrophic.” 3

When Alexander von Humboldt was just twenty years old, in 1790, he took a four

month trip around Europe, to England, France, and the Netherlands, thanks to the large

sum of money his deceased mother left him. Humboldt’s highlight of the trip was

London, where he saw many trading ships filled with sugar, tea, spices, wine, and

timber, as well as smaller ships such as wherries and barges. Humboldt was influenced 4

by Georg Forster, who had traveled with Captain James Cook on his second voyage.

When the men met in Göttingen, Germany, it was an exchange that fueled his desire to

experience the world. 5

Humboldt then traveled to South America from 1799 to 1804, where he climbed

to a famous height of 19,413 feet on Mt. Chimborazo (see his notes about the 6

mountain in appendix B). This was a world­record for many years, and quite the feat

considering his lack of modern climbing equipment. While in South America, Humboldt

experienced an earthquake, yet, instead of running away in fear like everyone around

him, he took electric measurements (which is a form of short­term prediction for

earthquakes) , timed the shocks, and even noted how the quake rippled. 7 8

2 Wulf, Andrea. The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print, p. 46 3 Wulf, p. 60, information from Alexander von Humboldt’s diary, p. 216 4 Carl Philip Moritz, June 1782, Moritz 1965, p. 26; Richard Rush, 7 January 1818, Rush 1833, p. 79 5 Alexander von Humboldt, Ich Über Mich Selbst, p.36ff 6 Alexander von Humboldt, 23 June 1802, AH diary 2003, vol. 2, p. 106 7 Lazaridou­Varotsos, Mary S. Earthquake Prediction by Seismic Electric Signals: The Success of the VAN Method Over Thirty Years. Berlin: Springer­Verlag, 2013. Print.

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Humboldt then traveled to the United States of America. After exploring the U.S.,

he returned to Europe, setting his sights on climbing the Himalayan mountains.

However, the land was owned by the British, who refused to give traveling permission.

Eventually, Humboldt was able to explore Asia in 1829 for the Russian Finance

Minister, Count Georg von Cancrin. The minister wanted specific information of gold 9

and platinum in Russia and requested Humboldt, who gladly accepted and was able to

travel to Asia. Although Humboldt was not able to explore the Himalayan mountains,

taking this journey across Asia would allow him to complete his map of vegetation

zones around the world. While there, Humboldt wanted to mine for diamonds as well.

Many people thought he was crazy because diamonds had never been found in that

part of the world, but Humboldt succeeded and within a month, thirty­seven had been

found. The news quickly spread across Europe. Throughout his travels, Humboldt 10

studied rocks (which led to the “Geognostical Essay on the Superposition of Rocks”

being published), plants, animals, the longitude and latitude of the Earth, mountain

heights, and the temperatures of air and water. Humboldt explored the world, figuring

out many new ideas about nature.

While traveling, Alexander von Humboldt encountered new people, animals,

plants, dangers, and struggles. He and his companion, Aimé Bonpland, struggled with

limited exploration, due to the wars and fighting going on around the world. According 11

to the podcast "Rediscovering Alexander Von Humboldt, The Largely Forgotten Father

8 Personal Narrative 1814 ­ 29, vol. 2, p. 246 9 Cancrin to Alexander von Humboldt, 27 August 1827, p. 67ff 10 Beck 1983, vol. 2, p. 117 11 Alexander von Humboldt to Heinrich Karl Abraham Eichstädt, 19 April 1798, p. 625

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Of Environmentalism”, he faced dangerous animals in the Orinoco rainforest such as

jaguars, snakes, and crocodiles. During his climb of Mt. Chimborazo, he and his men

faced skin­numbing wind, breathing trouble, and blinding fog. He was also the first

European to encounter and describe the preparation of curare, a poisonous plant that is

commonly used for arrows and dart tips. The database file for curare explains how 12

deadly the plant can be: “Death from curare poison is caused by asphyxia (respiratory

arrest) because the muscles become so relaxed that the muscles operating the

diaphragm and lungs stop functioning.” This is a prime example of how Humboldt 13

faced danger during his journey.

Humboldt encountered many people as well. Father Bernardo Zea, a missionary,

who he met along the Venezuelan­Colombian border, joined the men as a tour guide

through the Orinoco. Father Zea knew the river well and was not used to seeing people

in the Orinoco rainforest, so he was eager to help the men. Humboldt met Spanish 14

monks who collected turtle eggs for oil and therefore caused a decreasing turtle

population. Humboldt also encountered the oyster stock population getting smaller 15

near the Venezuelan coast, once again, due to the activities of humans. Humboldt 16

encountered many new species, struggles, and dangers during his exploration.

Alexander von Humboldt also had many exchanges of ideas and information

after exploring new places. He influenced many people, directly and indirectly. Those

12 Personal Narrative, vol. 5, p. 528 13 "Curare ­ Chondrodendron Tomentosum." Raintree ­ Tropical Plant Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2016. 14 Personal Narrative, vol. 4, p. 510 15 Personal Narrative, vol. 4, p. 486 16 Personal Narrative, vol. 2, p. 147

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people include Charles Lyell, a famous geologist who was known for his explanation of

earthquakes and naming of rock layers (such as Paleozoic, Cenozoic, and Mesozoic), 17

Charles Darwin, a naturalist and geologist who is known for his evolution theory (even

saying Humboldt was the “greatest scientific traveller that ever lived”), and Ernst 18

Haeckel, a biologist, professor, artist, and naturalist who named new species and came

up with many biology terms (including ecology, stem cells, and phylum). John Muir, a 19

naturalist and environmental advocate, was inspired by Humboldt. He once said “[h]ow

intensely I desire to be a Humboldt”, wishing to see the mountains and flowers that 20

Humboldt saw. Alexander von Humboldt also impacted George Perkins Marsh, an

environmentalist whose library of 5,000 volumes from all over the world featured a

whole section devoted to Humboldt. Humboldt wrote 43 letters to exchange his 21

knowledge with the world before going to Spain. Humboldt getting access to explore 22

Spain was an important journey at the time because the required passport to travel was

rarely given to foreigners. Humboldt acquired it, however, much to everyone’s surprise.

Before Humboldt set off to see if the Amazon and Orinoco rivers connected, he also

sent letters about his exploration to newspapers in Europe and North America. 23

In 1827, Humboldt gave a total of 77 scientific presentations about his

observations from traveling the world. These speeches were attended by many people 24

17 Adams, Frank D. The Birth and Development of the Geological Sciences 18 Darwin Correspondence Project " Letter 13277 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Aug 1881 19 Freedom in Science and Teaching. Ernst Haeckel, German 1877, English 1879 20 John Muir to Jeanne Carr, 13 September 1865, JM Online 21 Lowenthal, David, George Perkins Marsh, Prophet of Conservation. Seattle: U of Washington, 2003. Print. p. 64; Marsh 1892 pp. 333­4; George Perkins Marsh 1864, pp. 91, 176 22 Alexander von Humboldt Letters America 1993, p. 9 23 Alexander von Humboldt to Ludwig Bolmann, 15 October 1799, Biermann 1987, p. 169 24 Wilhelm von Humboldt to August von Hedemann, vol. 7, p. 325

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from all over the world. However, Humboldt did not just give lectures to other people ­

he encouraged scientists attending to talk with each other. As Andrea Wulf said in The

Invention of Nature, “Humboldt put together a very different programme. Rather than

being talked at, he wanted the scientists to talk with each other”. Humboldt believed 25

that sharing science with other people was crucial to further discoveries and knowledge.

Humboldt also exchanged ideas with a famous astronomer, William Herschel. He

was known as the person who compared space to a garden. Humboldt would eventually

use this reference in the future, using the term a “great garden of the Universe” in

Cosmos. Cosmos was an expansive publication of information about nature, Earth, 26

and even space, written by Alexander von Humboldt. Humboldt also met a famous

botanist and explorer in Bogotá, Colombia named José Mutis. Mutis gave Humboldt

access to his expansive library and his resources from his own years and experiences

of traveling. Humboldt loved to exchange his ideas with new, budding scientists and

explorers. Humboldt would also share his ideas with literally anyone who would listen. 27

Whenever he was at a party or social gathering, he would ramble on for long periods of

time, jumping quickly from one subject to another. Plus, whenever Humboldt was in 28

the company of his brother and other friends, he found himself talking about nature and

the natural sciences, such as chemistry, volcanoes, zoology, and botany. 29

25 Wulf, p. 196 26 Cosmos, vol. 2, p. 74 27 Alexander Humboldt to Simón Bolívar, 29 July 1822, Minguet 1986 28 Carl Vogt, Jan 1845, Hanno Beck 1959, p. 208 29 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 17 ­ 19 December 1794

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When Humboldt traveled to North America, he met up with Thomas Jefferson,

who was the United States of America’s president at the time. Humboldt let Jefferson

copy his maps and notes of South America because he loved the United States. 30

Humboldt was fascinated by the idea of a country based off of freedom, once saying

that the “best air of all is breathed in liberty”. 31

Humboldt also sent his plant specimens from his explorations to Europe,

“because he believed that to share was the path to new and greater discoveries”. 32

When Humboldt returned to Europe, he compared his observations from climbing

mountains in Latin America with a man named Joseph Louis Gay­Lussac , who had 33

used balloons to test magnetic fields and air pressure at more than three thousand feet

higher than Humboldt had climbed.

Another person deeply moved by Humboldt’s work was his friend, Johann

Wolfgang von Goethe, a German writer. These men discussed theories, sketched

pictures and wrote notes from their experiences. One topic they discussed was the 34

“internal force” and “external force”, the idea that an animal’s exterior is shaped by

where and how it lives, while the interior is similar to other species from different

environments. 35

30 Alexander von Humboldt to James Madison, 21 June 1804 31 Alexander von Humboldt to Albert Gallatin, 20 June 1804 32 Wulf, p. 117 33 Alexander von Humboldt Geography 1807, p. 176 34 Goethe to Karl Ludwig von Knebel, 28 March 1797 35 Richards, Robert J. The Romantic Conception of Life: Science and Philosophy in the Age of Goethe. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2002. Print, p. 445 ff; Goethe in 1790, Goethe’s Year 1994, p. 20

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Alexander von Humboldt’s importance still stands today with his new ideas that

evolved science. “There is not one branch of science to which Humboldt has not

contributed something,” a newspaper article explains. Humboldt is known as the 36

person who set the principles of geophysics (Earth studies with magnetism, gravity, and

electricity), geography (studying the land, people, and animals of Earth), and

biogeography (the study of ecosystems and the species in them). Humboldt also 37

encountered the idea that everything in nature is connected. “We observed with

astonishment how many things are connected with the existence of a single plant,” he

wrote in his book, Personal Narrative. He was referring to Mauritia palms that he 38

encountered during his journey in Llanos. Today, it’s clearly understood that the loss of

an animal or plant species will impact the “web of life”. If one species is gone, then

those species that relied on it could become endangered.

At one point during Humboldt’s exploration of South America, he stopped at a

place called Aragua. The locals believed there was an underground drain in the lake,

soaking up the water, but Humboldt quickly realized the water was evaporating. The

trees that had once been found around the water had been cut down, and therefore

they were not blocking the sun from evaporating the water. It was at Lake Valencia in 39

Aragua that Humboldt first figured out the idea of human­induced climate change,

nearly 200 years before former Vice­President Al Gore won an Academy Award for this

36 "Alexander Von Humboldt." The Lady's Newspaper [London] 20 Mar. 1858: n. pag. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. 37 “Profile of Baron Alexander Von Humboldt”, Humboldt State University 38 Personal Narrative, volume 6, p. 7 39 Personal Narrative vol. 4, p. 142 ­ 144; Alexander von Humboldt’s diary, p. 215

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documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth”. It is continually mentioned that Humboldt was

aware of climate change and the effect of deforestation. He even listed the three main

ways that humans would destroy the Earth: air pollution, deforestation, and irrigation. 40

Humboldt also was the first person to come up with the idea of isotherms and

isobars. Isotherms are the lines on a map that separates the different colors to show 41

similar average temperatures (see appendix A, an example of a map with isotherms).

Isobars are also lines, except they represent air pressure instead of temperature.

Humboldt came up with the idea of isotherms and isobars for his report On the

Isothermal Lines and the Distribution of Heat on the Earth from 1817. Modern weather

maps still use this method.

Humboldt was the one of the first people to discover and research that the Earth

has shifting tectonic plates. He noticed how some plant species were similar along the

coasts of Africa and South America, which was “an incredible conclusion more than a 42

century before scientists had even begun to discuss continental movements and the

theory of shifting tectonic plates”. Tectonic plates (which is still known today) is that 43

the continents of Earth are constantly moving, and were in different places in the past.

Humboldt changed yet another viewpoint of the world when he placed and

classified plants by what he saw from “the lens of climate and location: a radically new

idea that still shapes our understanding of ecosystems today”. This is, once again, a 44

40 Central Asia, vol. 1, p. 27 and vol. 2, p. 214 41 Kurt Körber 1959, p. 301 42 Alexander von Humboldt Geography 1807, p. 9 43 Wulf, p. 128 44 Wulf, p. 89, information from Cosmos, vol. 1, p. 48

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reason why Humboldt is so important to science and the world today (see appendix C,

Naturegemälde, and appendix D, his vegetation zones from around the world).

After Alexander von Humboldt explored and encountered all this information, he

had to have the ultimate exchange, ending up in his most famous and prized work,

Cosmos. A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe. Humboldt used help

from botanists, scientists, historians, geologists, astronomers, and classicists for his

five­volume book. The last volume was published posthumously using Humboldt’s 45

notes. The five volumes contain massive information about not only nature and Earth,

but space and the universe as well. It features facts and observations about mountains,

volcanoes, rocks, magnetism, humans, animals, plants, and the solar system. Humboldt

was known to write his books with the eye of a scientist and poet, something only a 46

few people at the time were able to do, which made them so popular. Cosmos became

the equivalent of a bestseller at the time, quickly being translated into many languages

and sold all over the world. Cosmos has even been described as “a work which alone 47

would suffice to render his name immortal”. 48

Alexander von Humboldt’s work still impacts the science field today, over a

hundred­fifty years after his death. He changed the mindset of many, explored all

around the world, and exchanged his findings with everyone he met. Humboldt's legacy

45 Hooker to Alexander von Humboldt, 4 December 1847, Robert Brown to Alexander von Humboldt, 12 August 1834, Alexander von Humboldt to Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, 20 December 1828 and 14 July 1833 46 “Profile of Baron Alexander Von Humboldt”, Humboldt State University 47 Fiedler and Leitner 2000, p. 390; Biermann und Schwarz 1999b, p. 205; Johann Georg von Cotta to Alexander von Humboldt, 14 June 1845, Alexander von Humboldt Cotta Letters 2009, p. 283 48 "Alexander Von Humboldt." The Lady's Newspaper [London] 14 May 1859: 13. Newspaper Archive. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.

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can still be found with 300 plants, 100 animals, and many more places named after him.

Some examples include towns and cities with his name in states such as Wisconsin,

Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee, Nevada, and Minnesota. There’s a state

university named in his honor in Arcata, California. There’s the Humboldt squid; 4877

Humboldt (an asteroid); Humboldt Park Elementary School in Wisconsin; Humboldt

crater (on the moon); the Humboldt penguin in South America; and Humboldt Avenue in

Boston. There is even a Humboldt Research Award (also known as the Humboldt Prize)

presented to international scholars and scientists by the Alexander von Humboldt

Foundation. Although his name can be found around the world and in other parts of the

universe, he has been forgotten by many, despite the fact that Alexander von Humboldt

was a scientist, explorer, and naturalist who changed the way people think about

nature.

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Appendix A:

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Isotherms Average Temperature. Digital image. Climate Education. NOAA, n.d. Web. 15

Jan. 2016.

I used this digital image to help me understand what isotherms are and I used this image to realize that Humboldt coming up with this idea was a big deal since it is still used today in modern weather maps.

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Appendix B:

Von Humboldt, Alexander. Chimborazo Drawing. Digital image. Princeton University.

N.p.,n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.

I used this digital image to show how Humboldt didn’t just climb mountains, he documented them as well. This is important to my research because it shows how other scientists could use his discoveries.

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Appendix C:

Naturegemälde. Digital image. Wikimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.

I used this image to show how far ahead of his time Humboldt was, and also to help the reader understand how much he loved nature and how big of an impact he left.

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Appendix D:

Humboldt, Alexander Von. Vegetation zones from across the world. Digital image.

Cybergeo. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.

I used this digital image to show why Alexander von Humboldt wanted to travel to Asia to complete his vegetation zones from around the world. This image shows the detail in his work, as well as the time and effort he put into it.

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Annotated Bibliography: Primary Sources:

"Alexander Von Humboldt Quote." A­Z Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. These quotes helped me start my essay and start to figure out who Alexander von Humboldt was. This helped me realize how Humboldt thought. "Alexander Von Humboldt." The Lady's Newspaper [London] 14 May 1859: 13.

Newspaper Archive. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. This newspaper article helped me see what an impact Humboldt had on the world when he died. I used this source to give the reader information on what a big deal he and Cosmos was. "Alexander Von Humboldt." The Lady's Newspaper [London] 20 Mar. 1858: n. pag. Web.

15 Feb. 2016. I used this newspaper article to show the reader how Humboldt was known and described at the time he was alive. This was a good primary source because it shows the viewpoint of people that lived then and knew him. "Miscellany." The Magnet [London] 9 May 1859, Express Edition ed.: n. pag. Newspaper

Archive. Web. 8 Jan. 2016. This newspaper article helped me realize what an impact Humboldt had on the people of the time. I used it to get background knowledge on his impact. Alexander von Humboldt Central Asia 1844, vol. 1 I used this book to explain how Humboldt was ahead of his time and already knew of the disasters that could happen if the human race continued destruction. It helped me realize that Humboldt has influenced many people who are not even aware of him because he had futuristic thinking. Alexander von Humboldt Central Asia 1844, vol. 2 I used this book to find more information after volume one and how humans are so destructive. This expanded my knowledge and helped me make his ideas clear to the reader. Alexander von Humboldt Geography 1807 I used this writing piece to show how Alexander von Humboldt figured out the future idea of tectonic plates and how they must be shifting and moving. This helped me understand, once again, how many people are building off of his knowledge without realizing it.

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Alexander von Humboldt Personal Narrative 1814 ­ 29, vol. 2 I used this book to show the reader how Humboldt risked his life (in this example, an earthquake) for the sake of science and finding more about it. It shows how dedicated he was. Alexander von Humboldt Personal Narrative 1814 ­ 29, vol. 4 I used this book to use examples to explain to the reader one person Humboldt encountered, how he realized the water was being evaporated at Lake Valencia, and how the Spanish Monks were hurting the turtle population. This is important to my research because Humboldt knew that humans were capable of harming other species. Alexander von Humboldt Personal Narrative 1814 ­ 29, vol. 5 This book helped me realize how Humboldt once again risked his life for science (in this case, by experimenting with a poisonous plant) and what the local people used the plant for. This is important to my research because Alexander von Humboldt put a lot of time into his discoveries. Alexander von Humboldt Personal Narrative 1814 ­ 29, vol. 6 I used this book to understand how Humboldt first came up with the idea that everything in nature is connected. This is important to my research because it was an idea that he had earlier than everyone else. Alexander von Humboldt to Albert Gallatin, 20 June 1804 I used this letter to show how Humboldt loved the USA, giving me the quote I used. This is important to my research because it explains why Humboldt was so willing to help out Jefferson. Alexander von Humboldt to Heinrich Karl Abraham Eichstädt, 19 April 1798 I used this letter to figure out what was stopping Humboldt from exploring the world. He had many ideas, but this gave me a reason why his choices were limited. This was important to my research because it shows what was going on in that time. Alexander von Humboldt to Ludwig Bolmann, 15 October 1799, Biermann 1987 I used this letter to show an exchange that Humboldt made ­ sending his letters to newspapers. This was important to my research because it shows how Humboldt wanted to share his knowledge and findings with the world. Alexander von Humboldt to Simón Bolívar, 29 July 1822, Minguet 1986 I used this letter to show how Humboldt always wanted to help people out, encouraging them to follow in his footsteps. This was important to my research because it shows another exchange that Humboldt made. Alexander von Humboldt, 23 June 1802, Alexander von Humboldt diary 2003, vol. 2

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I used this writing to show how Humboldt climbed Mt. Chimborazo, which is one of his most well­known accomplishments. This was important to my research because I used it as a starting point to figure out how much Humboldt succeeded in during his long life. Alexander von Humboldt, 4 March 1800, Alexander von Humboldt Diary 2000 I used this writing to tell the reader about how ahead of his time Humboldt was ­ knowing about climate change and the effect of deforestation long before other scientists. This was important to my research because it proves that he changed the viewpoint of nature with his explorations. Alexander von Humboldt, Ich Über Mich Selbst, 1769 ­ 90, Biermann 1987 I used this writing piece to explain where Humboldt got the idea that he wanted to travel the world ­ who influenced him is very important to my research. This shows that Humboldt was always eager to travel from a young age. Carl Philip Moritz, June 1782, Moritz 1965 I used this source to explain what Humboldt’s first journey in Europe was like and what he liked the most about London. This helped my research because I was able to give the reader more details and examples so they have an idea what the trip was like. Cosmos. A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe. Von Humboldt, Alexander. Vol. 1­5. Germany: n.p., 1835. Print. I used this book to really find out how much Humboldt was involved in nature and the work he did. I used it to show how he gave the ultimate exchange and how he changed the world because this book became so popular. Count Georg von Cancrin to Alexander von Humboldt, 27 August 1827 I used this letter to explain how Humboldt was able to finally travel to Asia and what led him to find diamonds and be able to complete his vegetation zones. This helped my research because it leads to a primary source. Darwin Correspondence Project " Letter 13277 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Aug

1881 This online letter helped me realize how much Darwin was influenced by Humboldt, and I used this to show how he was such an important figure, especially at that time. Freedom in Science and Teaching. Ernst Haeckel, German 1877, English 1879 This writing piece helped my research because I was able to tell the reader why Haeckel was so important. Since Humboldt impacted him, it was important to show what came from what Haeckel learned from him. George Perkins Marsh 1864 This book helped me realize how George Perkins Marsh was impacted by Humboldt, and it helped me show the reader that Marsh had a large collection dedicated to him.

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This is important to my research because he was one of many people Humboldt influenced. George Perkins Marsh 1892 This book helped me in a similar way as above. I used this source to put an example in my essay of how influential Humboldt really was. This was important to my research because Humboldt influenced him, and it really was shown with the example I used. Johann Georg von Cotta to Alexander von Humboldt, 14 June 1845 These letters helped me use a description of how popular Cosmos was. Many people wrote about it considering this was a impact seen all around the world. This helped my research because it says again that Humboldt was wildly famous at that time. John Muir to Jeanne Carr, 13 September 1865, JM Online I used this letter to add a quote to my essay to show how Humboldt influenced John Muir. This helped my research because Muir was one of the people who was influenced by Humboldt and he became successful. Richard Rush, 7 January 1818, Rush 1833 I used this source to explain to the reader what London was like at the time when Humboldt traveled there and give the reader more details so they are able to imagine what it was like. This was important to my research because it helped me realize what travel was like at the time. Wilhelm von Humboldt to August von Hedemann, 10 January 1828 I used this letter to find out about the lectures that Humboldt had when in Europe. I used this source to tell the reader how many he had and what they were about so the reader can imagine what it would be like to go to one of those.

Secondary Sources:

"Curare ­ Chondrodendron Tomentosum." Raintree ­ Tropical Plant Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

I used this website to figure out more about curare, the poisonous plant that Humboldt encountered. This helped me because I was able to add more information to give the reader background. "Profile of Baron Alexander Von Humboldt." Humboldt State University ­ University

Archives. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2016. This website article helped me because I was able to get a shortened version of Humboldt’s life and what impact he had on nature at the time. I used this to show the principles that Humboldt is known for setting, and found some primary sources such as maps from this website.

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"Rediscovering Alexander Von Humboldt, The Largely Forgotten Father Of Environmentalism." To the Best of Our KNOWLEDGE. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.

This podcast helped me to realize how Humboldt should be more well­known and it explained in depth the dangers and struggles he faced. Adams, Frank D. The Birth and Development of the Geological Sciences. Dover

Publications, Inc., 1938. I used this book to find out how Charles Lyell was famous and why it matters that Humboldt influenced him. He is not as well­known as Darwin, so I needed to explain to the reader why he matters. Alexander von Humboldt Cotta Letters 2009 I used these letters to tell my reader about how Humboldt’s impact was all over the world with his popularity of Cosmos. I used this source to tell the reader how big this publishing really was, and this is important to my research because it shows how Humboldt was well­known at the time. Alexander von Humboldt Letters America 1993 I used this book to tell the reader about the letters he sent before exploring, and it helped my research because this was a good example of exchange. Hanno Beck 1959­61, vol. 1 I used this book many times to explain in my essay how Humboldt found diamonds, his life when he was younger, and how he would talk to anyone at parties. This helped my research because I was able to give specific examples in my writing. Biermann und Schwarz 1999b This source helped me use a description of how popular Cosmos was. Many people wrote about it considering this was a impact seen all around the world. This helped my research because it says again that Humboldt was wildly famous at that time. Karl Bruhns 1873, vol. 1 I used this book to give a short background to the reader to help explain why Humboldt wa so interested in nature and how he grew up. I only used background information that would help me explain my point and who Humboldt was. Carl Vogt, January 1845 I used this source to explain how Humboldt was very knowledgeable about his topics and nature. This helped my research because it helped me give more information to the reader about how he would literally talk to anyone. Horst Fiedler and Ulrike Leitner 2000 This source also helped me use a description of how popular Cosmos was. Many people wrote about it considering this was a impact seen all around the world. This

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helped my research because it says again that Humboldt was wildly famous at that time. Goethe in 1790, Goethe’s Year 1994 This source helped me figure out what Goethe and Humboldt would talk about when they conferred with notes. This was important to my research because it shows how Humboldt was both influenced by and impacted Goethe, providing an example of exchange. Kurt Körber 1959 This book helped me figure out more information about Humboldt and him coming up with the idea of isotherms and isobars. This also helped me find a map that used modern isotherms. Lazaridou­Varotsos, Mary S. Earthquake Prediction by Seismic Electric Signals: The

Success of the VAN Method Over Thirty Years. Berlin: Springer­Verlag, 2013. Print. This book helped me figure out what electrical measurements were (for earthquakes) and helped me give more information and background to my reader. Lowenthal, David, George Perkins Marsh, Prophet of Conservation. Seattle: U of

Washington, 2003. Print. I used this book to find out how much Humboldt really impacted Marsh, and use a specific example (the library and section dedicated to Humboldt). Richards, Robert J. The Romantic Conception of Life: Science and Philosophy in the

Age of Goethe. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2002. Print. This book helped me to figure out what Goethe and Humboldt figured out and talked about when they were conferring with each other, to give more information to the reader. I used this source to give an example. Who Is Alexander Von Humboldt? Perf. George Mehler. TED­Ed. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan.

2016. This video helped me start my project and and get a good background on Humboldt before starting my research. Wulf, Andrea. The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World. N.p.: n.p.,

n.d. Print. This biography helped me find other sources to use and find out what Humboldt did during his life. This source was important to my research because I used it as a base to start researching Humboldt and I used quotes from this book.

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