Preface

he journeys of naturalist William Bartram through the undeveloped southeastern United States has intrigued botanists, naturalists, and scholars of colonial America for two centuries. Though well known in his own lifetime as a naturalist-explorer, Bartram’s contributions often lacked recognition in later years, especially from the southeast United States, the focal point of his travels and writings. Only recently has the region so painstakingly recorded in his Travels of William Bartram begun to realize its own historic contribution as seen through these writings.

In 1975, responding to a growing interest in William Bartram as a colonial pioneer, Governor George C. Wallace of Alabama enlisted the cooperation of the governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee and paved the way for the creation of the Bartram Trail Conference, an organization to formally commemorate the paths which Bartram traveled.

The Conference is comprised of members from each of the eight cooperative states. Motivated by pride in their southern heritage and concern for the preservation and protection of the area's natural habitat, Conference members have fostered the beginnings of a multi-state trail system memoralizing the travels of William Bartram. Working with the US Department of the Interior and private citizens of the region, the Conference has conducted extensive research, bringing into sharper focus new information about Bartram’s life and his role in American history and natural science. This publication is the result of that research. Because of its historical nature, the Bartram Trail Conference anticipates that publication of this book will broaden and further stimulate both regional and national interest in Bartram’s contributions.

In addition, the Conference has developed a Bartram Heritage Conceptual Plan to preserve, enhance, and make accessible the outstanding natural, scientific, historic and cultural areas related to or revealed by Bartram’s travels. The projected eight-state effort to memorialize William Bartram with a multi-state trail system and interpretative heritage centers is one of the most exciting heritage conservation efforts in the United States. Especially noteworthy is that, with its implementation, the Heritage Plan represents a formidable partnership of federal, state and local governments and private citizens.

The Bartram Trail Conference hopes that publication of this material will result in a broader interest in and support of the commemoration of pioneer naturalist and botanical scholar, William Bartram, and will encourage southerners to support their state Bartram program, and to become members of the Bartram Trail Conference.

Martha McInnis, Chairman
Bartram Trail Conference