Van Buren Administration - Changes in the U.S. Government
Changes in the U.S. Government
Under Navy Secretary James K. Paulding, the U.S. Navy undertook an exploratory expedition that left Norfolk, Virginia, in 1838. The expedition eventually circumnavigated the globe, covering 87,780 miles, by way of Hawaii; San Francisco, California; and Singapore, before sailing into New York Harbor in 1841. Unlike foreign expeditions ordered by Jackson, Van Buren's predecessor, and Tyler, his successor, these voyages were not concerned with commercial interests but were mostly scientific in nature. As a result of this expedition, samples of plants and animals from throughout the world were gathered for study and improved maps were created. Once home, the vast collections were installed with the National Institution, an organization heavily influenced by Paulding and War Secretary Joel Poinsett. The National Institution was the direct predecessor of the Smithsonian Institution.
However, the main...
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