Spanish American expedition, 1799–1804 Alexander von Humboldt

1 spanish american expedition, 1799–1804

1.1 seeking foreign expedition
1.2 spanish royal authorization 1799
1.3 venezuela 1799–1800
1.4 cuba 1800, 1804
1.5 andes 1801–1803
1.6 mexico 1803–04
1.7 united states 1804
1.8 travel diaries

spanish american expedition, 1799–1804

alexander von humboldt s latin american expedition


seeking foreign expedition

with financial resources finance scientific travels, sought ship on major expedition. meantime, went paris brother wilhelm living. paris great center of scientific learning , brother , sister-in-law caroline connected in circles. louis-antoine de bougainville urged humboldt accompany him on major expedition, last 5 years, french revolutionary directoire placed nicolas baudin @ head of rather aging scientific traveler. on postponement of captain baudin s proposed voyage of circumnavigation due continuing warfare in europe, humboldt had been officially invited accompany, humboldt disappointed. had selected scientific instruments voyage. did, however, have stroke of luck meeting aimé bonpland, botanist , physician voyage. discouraged, 2 left paris marseilles, hoped join napoleon bonaparte in egypt. north africans in revolt against french invasion in egypt , french authorities refused permission travel. humboldt , bonpland found way madrid, luck changed spectacularly.

spanish royal authorization 1799

charles iv of spain authorized humboldt s travels , research in spanish america

in madrid, humboldt sought authorization travel spain s realms in americas; aided in obtaining german representative of saxony @ royal bourbon court. baron forell had interest in mineralogy , science endeavors , inclined humboldt. humboldt s timing not have been better interest spanish crown in extended scientific expedition possessions in new world. accession of house of bourbon spanish throne following death of last hapsburg king, charles ii (d. 1700), , war of spanish succession, house of bourbon won, spanish bourbons embarked on program of reform in spain , spanish america. bourbon reforms sought reform administration of realms , revitalize economies. @ same time bourbon reforms, spanish enlightenment in florescence. humboldt, confluent effect of bourbon revolution in government , spanish enlightenment had created ideal conditions venture.

the bourbon monarchy had authorized , funded expeditions, botanical expedition viceroyalty of peru chile , peru (1777–88), new granada (1783–1816), new spain (mexico) (1787–1803), , malaspina expedition (1789–94). these lengthy, state-sponsored enterprises gather information plants , animals spanish realms, assess economic possibilities, , provide plants , seeds royal botanical garden in madrid (founded 1755). these expeditions took naturalists , artists, created visual images careful written observations collecting seeds , plants themselves. crown officials 1779 issued , systematically distributed instructions concerning secure , economic means transport live plants land , sea distant countries, illustrations, including 1 crates transport seeds , plants.

when humboldt requested authorization crown travel spanish america, importantly, own financing, given positive response. spain under hapsburg monarchy had guarded realms against foreigner travelers , intruders. bourbon monarch open humboldt s proposal. spanish foreign minister don mariano luis de urquijo received formal proposal , humboldt presented monarch in march 1799. humboldt granted access crown officials , written documentation on spain s empire. humboldt s experience working absolutist prussian monarchy government mining official, humboldt had both academic training , experience of working within bureaucratic structure.

before leaving madrid in 1799, humboldt , bonpland visited natural history museum held results of martín de sessé y lacasta , josé mariano mociño s botanical expedition new spain. humboldt , bonpland met hipólito ruiz lópez , josé antonio pavón y jiménez of royal expedition peru , chile in person in madrid , examined botanical collections.

venezuela 1799–1800

humboldt , bonpland in amazon rainforest casiquiare river, scientific instruments, enabled them take many types of accurate measurements throughout five-year journey. oil painting eduard ender, 1856.



map of cassiquiare canal based on humboldt s 1799 observations

armed authorization king of spain, humboldt , bonpland made haste sail, taking ship pizarro coruña, on 5 june 1799. ship stopped 6 days on island of tenerife, humboldt climbed volcano teide, , sailed on new world, landing @ cumaná, venezuela, on 16 july.

the ship s destination not cumaná, outbreak of typhoid on board captain changed course havana land in northern south america. humboldt had not mapped out specific plan of exploration, change did not upend fixed itinerary. later wrote diversion venezuela made possible explorations along orinoco river border of portuguese brazil. diversion, pizarro encountered 2 large dugout canoes each carrying 18 guayaqui indians. pizarro s, captain accepted offer of 1 of them serve pilot. humboldt hired indian, named carlos del pino, guide.

venezuela sixteenth century eighteenth relative backwater compared seats of spanish viceroyalties based in new spain (mexico) , peru, during bourbon reforms, northern portion of spanish south america reorganized administratively, 1777 establishment of captaincy-general based @ caracas. great deal of information on new jurisdiction had been compiled françois de pons , published in 1806. rather describe administrative center of caracas, humboldt started researches valley of aragua export crops of sugar, coffee, cacao, , cotton cultivated. cacao plantations profitable world demand chocolate rose.

humboldt visited mission @ caripe , explored guácharo cavern, found oilbird, make known science steatornis caripensis. described guanoco asphalt lake spring of priest ( quelle des guten priesters ). returning cumaná, humboldt observed, on night of 11–12 november, remarkable meteor shower (the leonids). proceeded bonpland caracas climbed avila mount young poet andrés bello, former tutor of simón bolívar, later became leader of independence in northern south america. humboldt met venezuelan bolívar himself in 1804 in paris , spent time him in rome. documentary record not support supposition humboldt inspired bolívar participate in struggle independence, indicate bolívar s admiration humboldt s production of new knowledge on spanish america.

in february 1800, humboldt , bonpland left coast purpose of exploring course of orinoco river , tributaries. trip, lasted 4 months , covered 1,725 miles (2,776 km) of wild , largely uninhabited country, had important result of establishing existence of casiquiare canal (a communication between water-systems of rivers orinoco , amazon), , of determining exact position of bifurcation, documenting life of several native tribes such maipures , extinct rivals atures (several words of latter tribe transferred humboldt 1 parrot). around 19 march 1800, humboldt , bonpland discovered dangerous electric eels, shock kill man. catch them, locals suggested drive wild horses river, brought eels out river mud, , resulted in violent confrontation of eels , horses, of died. humboldt , bonpland captured , dissected eels, retained ability shock; both received potentially dangerous electric shocks during investigations. encounter made humboldt think more electricity , magnetism, typical of ability extrapolate observation more general principles. humboldt returned incident in several of later writings, including travelogue personal narrative (1814–29), views of nature (1807), , aspects of nature (1849).

two months later explored territory of maypures , of extinct aturès indians. humboldt laid rest persistent myth of walter raleigh s lake parime proposing seasonal flooding of rupununi savannah had been misidentified lake.

cuba 1800, 1804

humboldt botanical drawing published in work on cuba

on 24 november 1800, 2 friends set sail cuba, landing on december 19, met fellow botanist , plant collector john fraser. fraser , son had been shipwrecked off cuban coast, , did not have license in spanish indies. humboldt, in cuba, interceded crown officials in havana, giving them money , clothing. fraser obtained permission remain in cuba , explore. humboldt entrusted fraser taking 2 cases of humboldt , bonpland s botanical specimens england when returned, eventual conveyance german botantist willdenow in berlin. humboldt , bonpland stayed in cuba until march 5, 1801, when left mainland of northern south america again on march 30, 1801.

humboldt considered second discoverer of cuba due scientific , social research conducted on spanish colony. during initial three-month stay @ havana, first tasks survey city , nearby towns of guanabacoa, regla , bejucal. befriended cuban landowner , thinker francisco de arango y parreño; visited guines area in south havana, valleys of matanzas province , valley of sugar mills in trinidad. 3 areas were, @ time, first frontier of sugar production in island. during trips, humboldt collected statistical information on cuba s population, production, technology , trade, , arango, made suggestions enhancing them. predicted agricultural , commercial potential of cuba huge , vastly improved proper leadership in future.

on way europe mexico on way united states, humboldt , bonpland stopped again in cuba, leaving port of veracruz , arriving in cuba on january 7, 1804 staying until april 29, 1804. in cuba, collected plant material , made extensive notes. during time socialized scientific , landowner friends, conducted mineralogical surveys , finished vast collection of island s flora , fauna published essai politique sur l îsle de cuba.

the andes 1801–1803

humboldt , fellow scientist aimé bonpland @ foot of chimborazo volcano, painting friedrich georg weitsch (1810)

after first stay in cuba of 3 months returned mainland @ cartagena de indias (now in colombia), major center of trade in northern south america. ascending swollen stream of magdalena river honda , arrived in bogotá on july 6, 1801 met spanish botanist josé celestino mutis, head of royal botanical expedition new granada, staying there until september 8, 1801. mutis generous time , gave humboldt access huge pictorial record had compiled since 1783. mutis based in bogotá, other spanish expeditions, had access local knowledge , workshop of artists, created highly accurate , detailed images. type of careful recording meant if specimens not available study @ distance, because images traveled, botanists did not have to. humboldt astounded @ mutis s accomplishment; when humboldt published first volume on botany, dedicated mutis, mark of our admiration , acknowledgement.

illustrations spanish botanist josé celestino mutis s work in colombia

humboldt had hopes of connecting french sailing expedition of baudin, underway, bonpland , humboldt hurried ecuador. crossed frozen ridges of cordillera real, reached quito on 6 january 1802, after tedious , difficult journey.

their stay in ecuador marked ascent of pichincha , climb of chimborazo, humboldt , party reached altitude of 19,286 feet (5,878 m). world record @ time, thousand feet short of summit. humboldt s journey concluded expedition sources of amazon en route lima, peru.

at callao, main port peru, humboldt observed transit of mercury on 9 november , studied fertilizing properties of guano, rich in nitrogen, subsequent introduction of europe due writings.

mexico 1803–04

silver mining complex of la valenciana, guanajuato, mexico



basalt prisms @ santa maría regla, mexico alexander von humboldt, published in vue des cordillères et monuments des peuples indigènes de l amérique



aztec calendar stone



dresden codex, later identified maya manuscript, published in part humboldt in 1810

humboldt , bonpland had not intended go new spain, when unable join voyage pacific, left ecuador s port of guayaquil , headed mexico s west coast port of acapulco, landing february 15, 1803. before humboldt , bonpland started on way new spain s capital on mexico s central plateau, humboldt realized captain of vessel brought them acapulco had reckoned location incorrectly. since acapulco main west coast port , terminus of asian trade spanish philippines, having accurate maps of location extremely important. humboldt set instruments, surveying deep water bay of acapulco, determine longitude.

humboldt , bonpland arrived in mexico city, having been officially welcomed via letter king s representative in new spain, viceroy don josé de iturrigaray. humboldt given special passport travel throughout new spain , letters of introduction intendants, highest officials in new spain s administrative districts (intendancies). official aid humboldt allowed him have access crown records, mines, landed estates, canals, , mexican antiquities prehispanic era. humboldt read writings of bishop-elect of important diocese of michoacan manuel abad y queipo, liberal, directed crown improvement of new spain.

they spent year in viceroyalty, traveling different mexican cities in central plateau , northern mining region. first journey acapulco mexico city, through mexican state of guerrero. route suitable mule train, , along way humboldt took measurements of elevation. when left mexico year later in 1804, east coast port of veracruz, took similar set of measures, resulted in chart in political essay, physical plan of mexico dangers of road acapulco mexico city, , mexico city veracruz. visual depiction of elevation part of humboldt s general insistence data collected presented in way more understood statistical charts. great deal of success in gaining more general readership works understanding has extent or quantity can represented geometrically. statistical projections [charts , graphs], speak senses without tiring intellect have advantage of bringing attention large number of important facts.

humboldt impressed mexico city, @ time largest city in americas, , 1 counted modern. declared no city of new continent, without excepting of united states, can display such great , solid scientific establishments capital of mexico. pointed royal college of mines, royal botanical garden , royal academy of san carlos exemplars of metropolitan capital in touch latest developments on continent , insisting on modernity. recognized important creole savants in mexico, including josé antonio de alzate y ramírez, died in 1799, before humboldt s visit; miguel velásquez de león; , antonio de león y gama.

humboldt spent time @ valenciana silver mine in guanajuato, central new spain, @ time important in spanish empire. bicentennial of visit in guanajuato celebrated conference @ university of guanajuato, mexican academics highlighting various aspects of impact on city. humboldt have examined geology of fabulously rich mine, took opportunity study entire mining complex analyze mining statistics of output. report on silver mining major contribution, , considered strongest , best informed section of political essay. although humboldt himself trained geologist , mining inspector, drew on mining experts in mexico. 1 fausto elhuyar, head of general mining court in mexico city, who, humboldt trained in freiberg. andrés manuel del rio, director of royal college of mines, whom humboldt knew when both students in freiberg. bourbon monarchs had established mining court , college elevate mining profession, since revenues silver constituted crown s largest source of income. humboldt consulted other german mining experts, in mexico. while humboldt welcome foreign scientist , mining expert, spanish crown had established fertile ground humboldt s investigations mining.

spanish america s ancient civilizations source of interest humboldt, included images of mexican manuscripts (or codices) , inca ruins in richly illustrated vues des cordillères et monuments des peuples indigènes de l amerique (1810–1813), experimental of humboldt s publications, since not have single ordering principle opinions , contentions based on observation. humboldt, key question influence of climate on development of these civilizations. when published vues des cordillères, included color image of aztec calendar stone, had been discovered buried in main plaza of mexico city in 1790, along select drawings of dresden codex , others sought out later in european collections. aim muster evidence these pictorial , sculptural images allow reconstruction of prehispanic history. sought out mexican experts in interpretation of sources there, antonio pichardo, literary executor of antonio de león y gama s work. american-born spaniards (creoles) seeking sources of pride in mexico s ancient past, humboldt s recognition of these ancient works , dissemination in publications boon. read work of exiled jesuit francisco javier clavijero, celebrated mexico s prehispanic civilization, , humboldt invoked counter pejorative assertions new world buffon, de pauw, , raynal. humboldt viewed both prehispanic realms of mexico , peru despotic , barbaric. however, drew attention indigenous monuments , artifacts cultural productions had both ... historical , artistic significance.

one of read publications resulting travels , investigations in spanish america essai politique sur le royaum de la nouvelle espagne, translated english political essay on kingdom of new spain (1811). treatise result of humboldt s own investigations generosity of spanish colonial officials statistical data.

the united states 1804

1804 map of louisiana territory. jefferson , cabinet sought information humboldt when visited washington, d.c., spain s territory in mexico, bordering u.s.

leaving cuba, humboldt decided take unplanned short visit united states. knowing current u.s. president, thomas jefferson, himself scientist, humboldt wrote him saying in united states. jefferson warmly replied, inviting him visit white house in nation s new capital. in letter humboldt had gained jefferson s interest mentioning had discovered mammoth teeth near equator. jefferson had written believed mammoths had never lived far south. humboldt had hinted @ knowledge of new spain.

arriving in philadelphia, center of learning in u.s., humboldt met of major scientific figures of era, including chemist , anatomist caspar wistar, pushed compulsory smallpox vaccination, , botanist benjamin smith barton, physician benjamin rush, signer of declaration of independence, wished hear cinchona bark south american tree, cured fevers. humboldt later published treatise in english on cinchona.

after arriving in washington d.c, humboldt held numerous intense discussions jefferson on both scientific matters , year-long stay in new spain. jefferson had concluded louisiana purchase, placed new spain on southwest border of united states. spanish minister in washington, d.c. had declined furnish u.s. government information spanish territories. humboldt able supply jefferson latest information on population, trade agriculture , military of new spain. information later basis essay on political kingdom of new spain (1810). jefferson unsure of border of newly-purchased louisiana precisely, , humboldt wrote him two-page report on matter. jefferson later refer humboldt scientific man of age . albert gallatin, secretary of treasury said of humboldt, delighted , swallowed more information of various kinds in less 2 hours had 2 years past in had read or heard. gallatin, in turn, supplied humboldt information sought on united states.

after 6 weeks, humboldt set sail europe mouth of delaware , landed @ bordeaux on 3 august 1804.

travel diaries

humboldt kept detailed diary of sojourn spanish america, running 4,000 pages, drew on directly multiple publications following expedition. leather-bound diaries in germany, having been returned russia east germany, taken red army after world war ii. following german reunification, diaries returned descendant of humboldt. time, there concern being sold, averted. government-funded project digitize spanish american expedition later russian expedition has been undertaken (2014-2017) university of potsdam , german state library - prussian cultural heritage foundation.