This essay will examine the lives of Michel Sarrazin, Thomas Wright, David Douglas, Archibald Menzies, and James Finley Weir Johnston, who were all scientists. The themes by which these individuals will be compared are country of origin, branch of scientific study, number of children, and lifespan. In this discussion, five sources will be the biography of each explorer, as found in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online, and a sixth source will be J.M. Bumsted's book, A History of the Canadian Peoples.
This Research Project will consist of a Graphic Analysis, and an Essay. In the Graphic Analysis, these scientists' lives will be compared under the themes mentioned above; in the Essay, the events that occurred during these peoples' lives …show more content…
Menzies studied at the University of Edinburgh from 1771 to 1780, studying medicine, chemistry, and botany. In 1782, Menzies joined the Royal Navy as an assistant surgeon. He first arrived in Canada at Halifax in 1784. While there he collected botanical samples and sending them back to the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, England. (Stearn 1988) In 1786, Menzies traveled to the pacific coast on a fur-trading venture as surgeon to the Prince of Wales by recommendation of Sir Joseph Banks, the most influential supporter of science in Britain. The ship arrived in the pacific in 1787, where Menzies spent a month collecting samples, then returned to Britain the same year. Archibald Menzies did not spend much of his life in Canada, but traveled the world collecting about 400 different species new to science, most of them from Vancouver Island. Menzies served in the navy until in 1802 he was forced to resign due to asthma. Thereafter, Menzies practiced medicine up until his retirement in 1826 (Stearn 1988). Menzies may not have experienced significant events in Canadian history, but may have heard them through news. Archibald Menzies died in 1842, a year after the union of Upper and Lower Canada brought fourth by the Act of Union. Menzies was married, but had no …show more content…
24 years after his birth, Douglas was sent to botanize in the northeastern United States as far as Amherstburg, Upper Canada by the Horticultural Society of London. Douglas ignored orders and went as far as Sandwich, now known as Windsor, Ontario. In 1833, slavery in the British Empire was abolished by the Slavery Abolition Act. Unfortunately, Douglas’ life was cut short at the age of 35 in Hawaii. He was found dead at the bottom of a cattle trap nearby an enraged bull. This lead to surreptitious contexts surrounding his death was speculated to either have been homicide or suicide, but it was later concluded by psychological study of Douglas that the cause of death was most likely murder. Douglas was considered a celebrity and was admitted to the Linnean, Zoological, and Geological societies of London, with honours. An expedition to the Pacific coast was organized for Douglas by the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Horticultural Society and he left for Fort Vancouver (now Vancouver, Washington) in 1829 and arrived in 1830 where he was greeted warmly by traders. Douglas had damaged eyesight from his last expedition, however he was known for having great eyesight for small plants and objects on the ground, in which would make him a natural and great botanist. Although Douglas died at a young age, most vital historical events that occurred in his life was from 1812 to 1833, such as the War of 1812, the annexing of