William Dampier
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 17th and 18th Centuries
- Categories: Science, Discovery, Exploration
- Subcategories: Scientists, Ships, Naval History, Explorers, Natural History
- Curriculum: British History, 18th Century European History, 17th Century European History
Article abstract: Dampier was the most accomplished of sailor-scientists in the era between the great voyages of discovery of the Elizabethan period and the planned scientific expeditions of the mid-eighteenth century.
Early Life
William Dampier, a curious mixture of adventurer, navigator, buccaneer, and outstanding author of the prescientific era, was born in 1651, possibly in August, in East Coker, Somerset, England. He was the son of a tenant farmer, George Dampier, and his wife, Ann, who had both died by the time Dampier went to sea at age sixteen...
[The entire page is 2182 words long]
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