The origins of the American chemical enterprise will be designated the 60th National Historic Chemical Landmark in a special ceremony on Oct. 10 in historic Jamestown, Va. This designation is taking place during the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Bruce E. Bursten, Ph.D., President-elect of the American Chemical Society, will present a commemorative bronze plaque at the ceremony to Ann Berry, administrator for the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, Preservation Virginia and Historic Jamestowne. The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, sponsors the Landmarks program.
Bursten said recognizing chemical achievement at Jamestown “demonstrates that the practical applications of science in general and chemistry in particular coincide with the first European settlements in North America. Archaeology and history point to early Virginia as the birthplace of the American chemical enterprise.”
Recent archaeological excavations at the Jamestown Fort reveal the presence of chemical tools and apparatus used to detect, identify and process natural resources for commercial uses. From the beginning of settlement in 1607, the colonists applied European technologies to indigenous raw materials in metallurgy, pharmacology and perfumery.
Many chemical practitioners settled in early Virginia: the apothecary, barber surgeon, physician, alchemist or metallurgist, and other metal-related trades such as refiners, goldsmiths, and blacksmiths. Apothecaries and physicians engaged in vigorous experiments with indigenous plants in the search for those with medical uses. Alchemists sought gold, of course, but also searched for more common materials such as ores that could be used in England for the production of brass.
The American Chemical Society--the world’s largest scientific society--is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. With more than 160,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society. Its main offices are in Washington D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.