François André Michaux facts for kids
François André Michaux (born August 16, 1770 – died October 23, 1855) was a famous French botanist. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. He was the son of another well-known botanist, André Michaux. Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania is named after his family. His father spent almost 12 years (1785–1796) in North America. He was collecting plants for the King of France.
Exploring North American Trees
François André Michaux traveled with his father to the United States. Together, they explored many parts of the country. His travels helped him learn a lot about trees. He wrote down what he found in a big book.
This book was called Histoire des arbres forestiers de l'Amérique septentrionale. It was published in three parts between 1810 and 1813. The book described many important timber trees. These were trees found north of Mexico and east of the Rocky Mountains. He wrote about where they grew and how scientists classify them.
In 1789, Michaux hiked through the Allegheny Mountains. Back then, traveling across these mountains was very hard. There were mostly trails used by Native peoples. There was also one military trail called Braddock Road. Michaux also traveled with his friend, botanist John Fraser. They went to the top of the Great Roan.
Michaux's Important Book
Michaux's important French book was later translated into English. The English version was called The North American Sylva. Augustus Lucas Hillhouse translated it. This work was reissued in 1852. It came in three large volumes. It also had 156 hand-colored pictures of American trees and shrubs.
In 1853, more volumes were added to his work. These new books described trees that Michaux had not covered. They also included trees from the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast. These extra volumes were written by another botanist, Thomas Nuttall.
Michaux's original book was published between 1811 and 1819. It had beautiful drawings by Pierre-Joseph Redouté and Pancrace Bessa. These artists were masters of drawing plants. Michaux's book quickly became very important. It helped create the study of forestry in America.
In 1809, Michaux was chosen to be a member. He joined the American Philosophical Society. This is a very old and respected group of thinkers.
See also
In Spanish: François André Michaux para niños
