Nicholas Marcellus Hentz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicholas Marcellus Hentz
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| Born | 25 June 1797 |
| Died | 4 November 1856 |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Painter, Educator, and Arachnologist |
| Known for | America's first arachnologist |
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Notable work
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"The Spiders of the United States |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline Lee Whiting (married 30 September 1824) |
Nicholas Marcellus Hentz (born July 25, 1797 – died November 4, 1856) was a French American teacher and a scientist who studied spiders. He is known as America's first arachnologist.
Contents
Nicholas Hentz's Early Life and Education
Nicholas Hentz was born in Versailles, France. He was the youngest child of Charles Nicholas Arnould Hentz and Marie-Anne Therese Daubree Hentz. He studied medicine and learned to paint tiny pictures called miniature paintings in Paris.
His father was involved in the French Revolution. When the old royal family returned to power in 1815, his father was sent away from France.
Moving to America and New Beginnings
In 1816, Nicholas and his family moved to the United States. They settled in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Nicholas taught French and miniature painting in cities like Boston and Philadelphia.
In 1819, he joined the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP). His drawings were published in their science journal. These included watercolors of freshwater fish and a miniature painting of his father-in-law.
Hentz's Teaching Career
In 1820, Hentz started studying medicine at Harvard University. But he soon left to focus on teaching. From 1826 to 1830, he was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He taught modern languages and literature.
After 1830, Hentz ran several schools. He taught in Cincinnati, Ohio (1832–1834), Florence, Alabama (1834–1843), Tuscaloosa, Alabama (1843–1845), Tuskegee, Alabama (1845–1848), and Columbia, Alabama (1848–1849).
After 1851, Hentz and his wife lived with their son in Marianna, Florida. Nicholas Hentz passed away there in 1856 after an illness.
Nicholas Hentz's Family Life
On September 30, 1824, Nicholas Hentz married Caroline Lee Whiting. In 1831, they moved to Covington, Kentucky. Caroline was a writer who published many stories in magazines and newspapers.
Nicholas and Caroline had five children:
- Marcellus Fabius (1825–1827)
- Charles Arnould (1827–1894)
- Julia Louisa (1829–1877)
- Thaddeus William Harris (1830–1878)
- Caroline Therese (1833–1904)
Their daughter Julia was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her parents taught her at home. She wrote several short poems, but most were not published. Her most famous poem was "A Dream of Locust Dell."
Their youngest daughter, Caroline Therese, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was also taught by her parents. She later published stories and sketches in magazines. Their son Charles Arnould became a doctor.
Why Hentz Left the University
In 1829, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offered Hentz an honorary Master of Arts degree. However, some people had mixed feelings about him.
Many students felt that studying French went against their religious beliefs. Because of this, some suspected Hentz of having ideas from the French Revolution. In 1833, Professor Hentz left the university. He found the new rules for teachers too strict. After he left, French was completely removed from the university's classes.
Nicholas Hentz's Work with Spiders
Hentz became a very important zoologist (animal scientist) in the field of arachnology, which is the study of spiders. In France, he became good friends with Thomas Say, another important scientist. They had planned to work together on a book about American insects.
In the United States, Hentz started collecting insects. In the 1840s, he sold his collection to the Boston Society of Natural History.
Discovering New Spider Species
Hentz is best known for finding and describing 141 different kinds of spiders. He published these descriptions in the society's journal between 1842 and 1850. He was one of the first people to collect and write about spiders in North America.
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When scientists name a new species, they often include the name of the person who classified it and the year. Some spiders he described include the Yellow sac spider, the Southern house spider, a common tarantula, and a type of jumping spider.
Hentz also published other works. In 1820, he wrote about alligators. From 1822 to 1839, he published French textbooks. In 1825, he wrote a novel called "Tadeuskund, the Last King of the Lenape, an Historical Tale." His most important collection of writings about spiders was republished in 1875. It was titled "The Spiders of the United States: A Collection of the Arachnological Writings of Nicholas Marcellus Hentz, M.D."
Sources
- "Tadeuskund, the Last King of the Lenape". www.asp.org. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
- "Caroline Lee Whiting Hentz". momo348.tripod.com. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
- "Hentz, Nicholas Marcellus". ncpedia.org. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- Cooke, J. (1996). A pioneering spider man. Natural History, 105(7), 74.
See also
In Spanish: Nicholas Marcellus Hentz para niños
