Benjamin Dann Walsh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Dann Walsh
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Benjamin Dann Walsh
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| Born | 21 September 1808 Hackney Middlesex, England
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| Died | 18 November 1869 (aged 61) Rock Island, Illinois
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| Nationality | American |
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| Fields | Entomology |
Benjamin Dann Walsh (born September 21, 1808 – died November 18, 1869) was an important American scientist. He was born in England but moved to the United States. Walsh became a famous entomologist, which means he studied insects.
He was the first official state entomologist in Illinois. This means he was the state's expert on insects. Walsh believed in using science to control farm pests. He also supported using natural methods to manage insects. He was one of the first American scientists to agree with Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Walsh helped many other insect scientists accept Darwin's ideas.
Benjamin Dann Walsh's Life Story
Walsh was born in a small village called Hackney, near London, England. His father, Benjamin Walsh, was a member of parliament. When Benjamin was a boy, his father faced legal trouble. He was accused of taking money and trying to leave the country.
After finishing school in 1827, Walsh went to Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned two degrees there. For 12 years, he lived at Trinity College. He planned to become a priest. Walsh was very good at old languages and literature. He even started translating ancient Greek plays. He also wrote many articles for newspapers.
While at Cambridge, Walsh had strong opinions about society. He wrote a paper in 1837 suggesting big changes for the university. He eventually decided not to become a priest. He also felt unhappy with his career path.
In 1838, Walsh married Rebecca Finn. They moved to the United States. They settled in a very quiet area of Henry County, Illinois. They lived in a simple log cabin and farmed their land for 12 years. Walsh wanted to live a quiet life as a farmer and thinker. But then, many people in the area got sick with malaria. Walsh worried about his health. In 1850, he moved to Rock Island, Illinois. There, he started a successful lumber business.
After moving, Walsh became active in politics. He was a Radical Republican. This meant he was strongly against slavery. He often wrote about his strong beliefs. He helped fight to make Kansas a free state. In 1856, he helped start a group. This group encouraged people who opposed slavery to move to Kansas. In 1858, he thought the Rock Island city council was taking money. To check their records, he ran for election to the council. After he proved the corruption, he quit his position.
Walsh's Work with Insects
Around 1858, Walsh sold his lumber business. He then made money from renting out properties he owned. He had studied nature and collected insects in college. But it was at this time that he started studying insects full-time.
By 1859, Walsh was giving talks about insects. He showed his collection of 1,650 insects at the Illinois State Fair. In 1860, he gave a popular talk about insect pests to a farming group. He also wrote articles for farm magazines. At first, Walsh focused on how insects affected farms. But starting in 1862, he wrote scientific papers. These papers were for groups like the Boston Society of Natural History. He wrote about how insects changed and grew. He also described new insect species.
Walsh was very active in scientific groups. In 1858, he helped start the Illinois Natural History Society. In 1861, he joined the Entomological Society of Philadelphia. In 1863, he became a member of the Boston Society of Natural History. He was also close with the Illinois State Agricultural Society. This group convinced the state government to make Walsh the first Illinois State Entomologist. In 1868, Illinois was only the second state to have an official insect expert. Walsh started working right away, even before his official appointment.
In 1865, the Entomological Society of Philadelphia started a magazine. It was called The Practical Entomologist. This was the first American magazine about farm insects. Walsh became an editor. He quickly became the main editor of this important magazine. In 1868, Walsh became the senior editor of The American Entomologist. C.V. Riley was the junior editor. This magazine was for farmers. It had pictures and clear descriptions. It helped farmers identify insect pests. It also showed them how to control the pests. Walsh and Riley made two important discoveries. They found a 13-year form of the periodical cicada. They also were the first to write about how the viceroy butterfly copied the monarch butterfly. This is called mimicry.
Walsh and Darwin's Ideas
Walsh and Charles Darwin were classmates at Cambridge University. They both graduated in 1831. They knew each other and shared an interest in nature. They both learned from important professors.
Walsh first read Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species, in 1861. At first, he was unsure about it. But he quickly became a strong supporter of Darwin's ideas. He wrote to Darwin: "Thank you for your book... The first time I read it, it surprised me. The second time, it convinced me. The more I read it, the more I believe your theory is correct." This was the first of many letters they exchanged. They wrote to each other over 30 times.
Once Walsh believed in Darwin's theory, he strongly supported it. He spoke about it in lectures. He wrote about it in his papers. He also discussed it in his letters. With Darwin's encouragement, he challenged scientists who disagreed with evolution. These included famous scientists like Louis Agassiz. Within a few years, most insect scientists supported evolution. Even some who had disagreed at first changed their minds.
Walsh also used Darwin's ideas in his own insect studies. He made new discoveries that supported Darwinism. In 1864, Walsh noticed 15 similar species of gall-making insects. These insects mainly differed in which type of willow tree they preferred. Walsh suggested these wasps came from a common ancestor. They then changed into different species based on their favorite willow tree. Walsh also studied mimicry among insects. He argued that mimicry was best explained by natural selection. Darwin was very happy to hear about Walsh's studies. He even included Walsh's findings in later versions of his book, On the Origin of Species.
Death
Walsh died on November 18, 1869. He was hit by a train while walking near the tracks. He is buried in the Chippiannock Cemetery in Rock Island. His insect collection had 30,000 specimens. The state of Illinois bought it. It was stored in a "fireproof" building in Chicago. However, almost all of Walsh's collection was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
