The Passionate Empiricist

Preface
Acknowledgments

1. A Classical Voice for American Science 2. An American Cicero
Adams the Professor of Rhetoric/The Lectures on Rhetoric: An Outline of Adams's Theory/Competing Rhetorical Teachings in Adams's Time
Twenteth-Century Rhetorical Theory: An Aid for Contemporary Readers 3. Toward a Democratic Science: Institution-Building and the Statesman Orator
Adams's Early Development as an Orator for Democratic Science/ The Presidency as Pulpit for Science/Appealing to the Audience: Early American Attitudes toward Science 4. Increase and Diffusion of Knowledge: Setting the Stage for the Smithsonian Debate
The Question of James Smithson's Intentions/ The Smithsonian and the Ethos of Scientific Discovery/Early Scientific Institutions as Models in Deliberative Rhetoric/The Smithsonian as Locus for Common Knowledge/ An Imperious and Indispensable Obligation/The State of the Controversy 5. Adams's Arguments in the Smithsonian Debate: A Rhetorical Analysis
An Inventive Stage: Letters, Learned Advice, and Private Conversations/Asher Robbins and the National University Plan/Adams's Refutations and His First Arguments for an Observatory/ Two Particular Audiences and Adams as Impartial Judge/ Financial Delays to Action: "Catch the bear before you sell his skin"/Resistance to Argumentation/ Arguments for a Natural History Museum and the Agricultural Influence/ The Grand Library Plan/Compromise 6. The Queen of Sciences and Her Democratic Champion
Adams's Promotion of Astronomy
Adams's Congressional Arguments for an Observatory/Adams's Public Speaking Tours on Astronomy

7. Invention and Discovery, Rhetorically Speaking Appendix A The Will of James Smithson
Appendix B An Act to Establish the Smithsonian Institution as It Passed into Law on August 10, 1846
Notes
Bibliography
Index